A Week's Worth of Excitement

Okay, so we've had quite a few events in the last week. Here's a rundown with real quick descriptions:

Thursday - Wine Club

Along with the previously mentioned Gallo wines, we also tried:

Louis Martini Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon

Louis Martini Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Lous Martini Monte Rosso Cabernet Sauvignon 1999

Of course these were all good - in the sort of "good, better, best but way too young" order. I wish I had a bottle of Monte Rosso and about five more years on it.

Sunday - Charity Wine Tasting

Four easy-to-drink, easy-to-enjoy, and easy-to-spend-ten-dollars on wines for the Masonic Lodge. Only fifteen people showed, but they bought 45 bottles. Sweet.

Bogle Chardonnay

Bogle Petite Sirah

Menage a Trois White

Menage a Trois Red

I've talked a little about some of these before. The Menage a Trois wines sort of have training wheels on them - it's tough not to like them too much. The Bogle Chard really wasn't too bad - it wasn't oaked into oblivion. Of course, the petite syrah is one of my favorites.

Tuesday - Wines of Burgundy

We sat in on a tasting in a clubhouse overlooking a human-constructed lake in a natural-looking area in the middle of town. It was all restaurant people except the three of us grocery store guys. I ate so damn much cheese that I had a nightmare about it that night.

The point was to learn how French wines are affected by the reflections of terroir - basically how wines made in incredibly similar styles can have unique characteristics based on the land from which they come. Also, we were to get an idea of the most recent vintage in order to make more educated recommendations.

* indicates some interest to me, for some reason

Chardonnay:

Vero Chardonnay 2002 *

St. Veran 2004

Chassagne Montrachet Blanc 2004

Meursault 2004

Puligny Montrachet 2004

Chablis Vaudesir Grand Cru 2004 *

Clos Des Mouches Blanc 2004 *

Meursault Perriers 2004

Chassagne M. De Laguiche

Puligny Montrachet Garenne

Corton Charlemagne *

Beaujolais:

Brouilly 2005

Morgon 2005

Moulin-a-Vent 2005

Pinot Noir:

Vero Pinot Noir 2002 *

Volnay 2004

Savigny Les Beaune 2004

Nuit St Georges 2004

Gevrey Chambertin 2004

Charmes Chambertin 2004

Chambolle Musigny Premier Cru 2004

Cambolle Musigny 2004

(I'm pretty sure at this point we also had Clos Des Mouches Rouge and something else.)

The variety here was astounding, considering that we were trying wine after wine produced by the same company using very similar techniques, from vineyards so close together. I'm pretty sure I still don't fully appreciate it all.

Wednesday - All kinds of Sampling

Joined some fellows over at a distribution house to try some stuff they'd like to get out there. It was a good time. Again, I ate so damn much cheese.

Sebastiani Symphony 2004 - Not as good as Ironstone.

Desert Wind Semillon 2004 - Good, but we don't know the price, and it isn't available in our state.

Stag's Leap Viognier 2003 - Not bad, but too expensive.

Willamette Valley Whole Cluster Pinot 2005 - The whole-cluster fermentation allowed a lot more natural sugar, apparently, because this was surprisingly sweet.

Soiree Pinot Noir 2004 - Odd, not bad, but not great. I could sell it.

Crosspoint Pinot Noir 2003 - A disagreement here: I thought this guy was one of the strangest pinot noir that I've had. A collegue thought it was the first that tasted right.

Elk Cove Pinot Noir Mount Richmond 2004 - Must have been a bad year. This had the most foul odor. Collegue dubbed it the "P.J." Poop juice. Or porta-john.

Elk Cove Pinot Noir La Boheme 2004 - Like I said, this must have been a bad year. This guy had a little less of that terrible pungency.

Roriz Prazo De Roriz 2004 - Something from Portugal that isn't a port. Very extracted. I didn't care for it.

Gran Feuda Crianza 2002 - Soft and supple Tempranillo blend from Spain.

Gran Feuda Reserva 2001 - Another soft and supple Tempranillo blend, this one with more depth in the nose. Good.

Rivola Tempranillo/Cabernet 2003 - I don't remember this one, but I circled it. I must have liked it.

Annie's Lane Shiraz 2002 - Not that good, considering it was from McLaren Vale.

Pirramimma Petite Verdot 2003 - Okay, not as extracted or intense as I would have liked.

Eos Petite Sirah 2000 - Outstanding, but not worth the money.

Stonefly Cabernet Franc 2002 - Good, but sort of generic, without a label. A second tier of a major producer?

J Lohr Cuvee "St. E" 2000 - Wonderful, and in the style of the "Premier Grand Cru Classé wines from St. Emilion." Again, a bit pricey.

Cheateau Ste Michelle Indian Welles Cabernet 2003 - Excellent. I plan on carrying it and selling it by hand. I also have a bottle of the merlot of the same line to try.

B. R. Cohn Silver Label Cabernet Sauvignon 2003 - One of the best of the day. I'll heartily recommend this wine, especially at the price. I took the bottle, jammed a cork in it, opened it the next day, and it was still full of tannic structure. I love it!

Chappellet Mountain Cuvee 2003 - Very good, and a very attractive package. I'd consider carrying this guy.

Stag's Leap Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 - Nice. Full and firm and deep with dark red fruits. What I like in a cab. Oh, and a good name.

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Edit: I forgot about last Wednesday, when we had the chance to try pretty much the entire main J Lohr line. The list:

J Lohr "Riverstone" Chardonnay

J Lohr "Seven Oaks" Cabernet Sauvignon

J Lohr "Los Obos" Merlot

J Lohr "Bay Mist" White Riesling

J Lohr "Wildflower" Valdiguie

J Lohr "Old Vines" Zinfandel

So yeah. These were all really good, especially considering the price. Of special interest were the Chard, Merlot and Riesling. Also the valdiguie, which either is or is not a close of gamay. This guy was a more flavorful, interesting version of some kind of Beaujolais Villages with very little tannins and a pretty, floral nose. Totally a beginner wine.

Smokin' Mendocino Wines

Spent the night at a wine tasting over at a friend's store; tasted a few I've had before and a few new ones, too.

Parducci Muscat Canelli

This guy is a pretty incredible white. I mean, it's really sweet, but not like sickeningly sweet. Sort of like soft nectar. I can stand it, and I think the ladies would really love it. And girly dudes, too.

Parducci Pinot Grigio; Parducci Sauvignon Blanc

Okay, I'm taking these two wines on at once becuase, frankly, I could not tell the difference. I mean, one cost two dollars more than the other, so maybe there's a difference. I think the girl pouring the wines messed up and poured me two glasses of pinot grigio and then when I got a glass of the sauv blanc it was pretty much the same.

So yeah, anyway these two whites weren't great. Surprisingly, they weren't too sweet. But then they weren't really much else, either.

So these two whites came with a little wad of some kind of chicken spread, which I did not have. Also some Ritz crackers. They were as nice as Ritz crackers get, I suppose.

Parducci Pinot Noir

I guess I find it tough to believe that a pinot noir can really be good at around eleven bucks. There was a speech about how the Mendocino guys have friends at the vineyards who still cut them deals. I dunno. It was pinot. Not terrible. I guess it falls into that big category of inexpensive pinot noir that just doesn't seem to have enough intenisty, nor does it have an underlying complextity uncovered by the usual softness of pinot noir to capture my interest. I mean, it's pinot. I guess I'd recommend it if you like pinot.

Parducci Petite Syrah

Yeah. I'm a fan of petite syrah. This one was a bit too tart. And not so extracted as I'd like it. Just didn't have the punch.

Big Yellow Cabernet Sauvignon
I've had this one before, and I really do like it. Good luck finding a good cabernet around ten bucks. And it's from Mendoncino. I mean, it pretty much tastes like cabernet with a hint of spice at the end. But yeah, it's totally worth it. I've got a bottle sitting around here somewhere.

Tusk'n Red Blend
Another that I've had before. Another decent red, this one interesting because of what it is - a Tuscan-style red blend. It's from California, but compared to other Cali blends, it's a lot more dry and complex.

These two wines were paired with a really delicious smelling portabella steak soup. I would have eaten it if it weren't for the steak. But as the cook pointed out, here in the midwest, everybody eats as much meat as possible in everything.

Zig Zag Zinfandel
After tasting Rombauer North Coast Zinfandel and Seghesio Zinfandel, I don't really see any zinfandel under $20 really overwhelming me. So it wasn't that great. The fruit was soft and hidden behind plenty of tannins. So at first, it really didn't capture my interest.

The zin came with a chocolate eclair. It was delicious. The sugar really softened up the zin and let the darker plum and raspberry (?) flavors. Also, it was something like six hundred calories.

Gallo Stuff

I tried these wines from Gallo. I'll not knock the wines themselves just for being part of the Gallo conglomerate, but keep in mind that the whole Gallo team are masters at the art of marketing.

Bella Sera Rosso
A serious pop wine. This generic red blend has an odd nose; it has hints of sweetness similar to a sweeter white, like a moscato d'asti or sweet riesling. The palate is surprisingly dry considering the nose, but the tannins are soft with hints of strawberry or cherry candy. The finish is quick and gives way to that tiny amount of sweetness the nose would lead you to expect.

Dancing Bull Merlot '03
Hmmm. Rancho Zabaco has a new line of wines, expanding beyond the sauvignon blanc and zinfandel that they've grown. I hate to be so limited in a review, but I don't know how else to say it: this merlot tastes like a cheap merlot. Nothing special.

Dancing Bull Cabernet Sauvignon '03
Similar to the merlot, this cab follows varietal standards and seems sort of cheap. It's got a nose sort of reminiscent of raspberries or darker berries. Decent tannins last a moderate length on the finish.

Dancing Bull Sauvignon Blanc '04

This has to be the most interesting wine from all the Dancing Bull wines we tried today. Grassy notes on the nose reflect a sauvignon blanc from New Zealand, but are much less dominant, allowing softer hints of orange blossom through. The palate is full of zesty citrus and pineapple and a flavor I only know how to describe as fresh, juicy, green seedless grapes.

Dancing Bull Chardonnay '04
At first I thought that the softness of the nose of this chardonnay was because it was chilled a bit too cold. So after holding it in my hands until it was almost warm, it still didn't have a very pronounced nose. Maybe some peach or apricot? The palate is soft with a tiny bit of butter, perhaps some citrus without the brightness.

Napa Valley Vineyard Chardonnay '03
This chardonnay has a lot more oak than the Dancing Bull, but isn't unbalanced. Also some pineapple and more acidity, adding to the overall complexity.

Marcelina Carneros Chardonnay '01

The color of this chardonnay really seperates it from the others - it has a nice golden hue reflecting higher extraction and more intense flavors. Thank god! Butter and oak balance with acidity and a softer, more mellow fruit and maybe even a hint of nut. Really interesting. I had to wonder why we were trying an '01, which seemed a bit old even for a Carneros chardonnay.

Marcelina Napa Cabernet Sauvignon '02
Maybe I'm a bit slanted towards cabernet; I was really looking forward to this bottle. The nose is satisfyingly thick, full of dark berry fruit and maybe a little earthy dust. At first all other flavors were completely overrun by massive tannins with a bit of earth. None of the flavors I was expecting from the nose could shine through. About twenty minutes later, though, this cab kicked serious ass, totally open and ripe. I wonder if it would age well with a "Stelvin" Screwcap. Damn I wish I had a decanter.

Chalk Hill & More

Went to a meeting yesterday that involved trying lots of new wines. Among other things, we tried the following:

Rodney Strong Sauvignon Blanc

Nice and soft and surprisingly spritzy. A little too sweet for a sauvignon blanc and a little too simple for whatever they want to charge for it (somehow Rodney Strong has been ridiculously overpriced in my state for the last few months...maybe a shift in house will help the situation). Anyway, light and nice.

Also had the Rodney Strong Sonoma Zinfandel but I really didn't think it was all that special. At least it wasn't that great compared to the Rosemount and Ridge zins.

New Age White

"Think of it like a Moscato D'Asti for people who can't afford it." That's how they described this one to us. But it costs about the same as Luccio Moscato D'Asti, so I don't really see that happening. But the description is about right. The package is catchy. The wine is sparkly and sweet with a sort of funky bitterness that could very well have been the soap in my wine glass. It was the first I tried, I guess.

Pinot Evil
Pinot evil is not that great. The fruit is simply varietal and everything is subdued by a combination of French earth, old-word style and the fact that it's cheap wine. But the cute label combined with the low price will sell this guy. And it's not offensive wine.

Some Random New Zealand Marlbourough Sauvignon Blanc
I can't remember what this was called, but I liked it. A frosted bottle with flat shoulders a'la X-Rated or Van Gogh or Effen Vodka. It's grassy with citruis fruits. It's nice and fairly complex and a little on the sweet side. Good step up for pinot grigio drinkers afraid to try new things.

Rosenblum San Francisco Bay Zinfandel

Oh hells yes. Rosenblum really knows zin. This zinfandel is so extracted it almost has port flavors. Deep cherry and dark berry. The taste lasts. Not too sweet, though. I don't know what else to say about it, it's good.

Ridge 3 Valleys Blend, Which is Mostly Zin with some Petite Syrah
Cool idea, and the good stuff shines through on this wine. I like the other grapes blended in to fill out the flavor. Adds richness. Don't ask me to describe it. It was good, really good, but not as good as that Rosenblum.

Beringer Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2001

Talk about a total disappointment. I mean, this wine is good, but by no means lives up to the $120+ price tag. Or the name, for that matter. The complexity was weak. The finish was short. Really, really short. And the lack of strong tannins is shocking considering the 2001 should still be too much to take. Lame, Beringer. Lame.

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Then some people left and we tried wines from the Chaulk Hill Winery. They all kicked serious ass. I'm not breaking it down, but I'll list what we had. I even liked the chardonnays. The pinot gris freaking blew my mind. And the Adele's Vineyeard Merlot was one of the best wines I've ever had. Way better than the Beringer Private Reserve. And cheaper, too.

2002 Sauvignon Blanc
2002 Chardonnay
2002 Founder's Block Chardonnay
2001 Cabernet Sauvignon
2001 Merlot (including other meritage blending grapes)
2002 Pinot Gris (in the Alsacean style)
1999 Adele's Vineyard Merlot

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Bogle Petite Syrah
Good stuff. I opened a bottle of this when I got home. So extracted! So much flavor! But alas, I find myself in desperate need of a decanter. This morning, the other half of the bottle was still there on the counter. Outstanding! It opened up, revealing all of the little red fruits in there. This isn't really a food wine. In fact, petite syrah seems sort of like one of those specialty wines that gather a small cult following but never really explode. That's fine, I'll keep the secret if you will, too. Very, very nice at a good value.