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Tasting Notes 9/16

2008-09-16T22:06:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time, over a year since I've had anything to say in this blog. My job has changed a bit and I have both less and more time and opportunitites to taste wine, and usually very little time to actually reflect and try to capture my impressions outside of good and bad and great.
A lot of my entires in the coming months will be presented as my basic notes with only enough language added to make sentences here and there to try to capture why I was thinking what I was thinking. Not very interesting to anybody else, but a good reference for myself.
These are notes from a seated tasting, done in flights of 3. We tried to take our time and communicate our impressions. Here's my experience:

2007 Leitz Eins Zwei Dry Riesling
Decent – Slightly metallic and just barely sugary enough to be a bit cloying.

2007 Leitz Dragonstone Riesling
Sweeter, with more granny smith apple. The sugar is balanced with lively acidity.

2007 Leitz Rudesheimer Magdelenenkreuz Riesling Spatlese
Zippy. Good. Hard to pronounce (?).

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2007 Pierre Boniface Apremont Vin de Savoie
Stony and dry with an austere finish.

2006 Pierre Boniface Chignin Bergeron
(Rousanne) Noticeable barrel spice on the nose, with soil earthiness.

2007 Chateau de la Greffiere Saint-Veran
Low on acidity; mellow fruit with spice. Nicely refined.

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2007 Brewer-Clifton Chardonnay Santa Rita Hills
Vanilla and …sawdust? Some kind of dusty wood. Pineapple with a lot of alcohol heat. 14.9 % and not entirely masked well.

2006 Ramey Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard
Spice and vanilla. Spiced dry apricot.

2006 Ramey Chardonnay Hyde Vineyard
Again overwhelmed in cooking spices, with even more outward spice. Anything but subtle.

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2007 Cade Sauvignon Blanc
Expected gooseberry and slight cat pee. Thin and light.

2007 Domaine des Aubuisieres B. Fouquet Vouvray les Girardieres
Musty nose with pear and noticeably low acidity.

2005 Domaine des Baumard Coteaux du Layon Cuvee le Paon
Nose is fat and fruity, forecasting the sweet honey and apricot. I’m not usually good at identifying mouthfeel, but this is quite noticeably heavy and thick.

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2006 Soter Pinot Noir Beacon Hill
SPICY and medicinal. Not fruit forward at all. Similar in style to that St. Nick pinot from France that I didn’t like, with a similar cinnamon dental floss quality, only lighter.

2006 DuMol Syrah Russian River Valley
Deep & Dark. Quite rich – plumy and peppery.

2006 Ramey Syrah Shanel Vineyard
Also deep & dark. Rich and stony.

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2006 Chateau Mourgues du Gres Les Galets Rouge
Herbs & garden spice. Dark and rich, tight and tannic.

2005 Domaine le Grands Bois Cotes du Rhone Cuvee Maximilian
All soil and mineral. Lots of tannin and a long tannic finish. Surprisingly austere for a Cotes du Rhone.

2006 Selection Laurence Feraud Cotes du Rhone Seguret
Juicy by comparison. Good fruit dimension and a little more balanced.

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2005 Domaine Saint-Damien Gigondas
The most austere of these next three. Spice and acidity, good tannin on end.

2005 Selection Laurence Feraud Gigondas
Jucier. Less mineral but still quite tannic.

2005 La Bastide-Blanche Bandol
More of the same. My palate is now overwhelmed by tannin. My lip is stuck to my teeth, and I have to stop and drink some water.

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2007 Cantina Valpantena Corvina Torre del Falasco
Thin with some bacon fat and a short finish.

2005 Fantino Rosso dei Dardi
(Barbera and Nebbiolo) I mentioned that this wine smells like port. A friend corrected me. I think my perception was shaped by the brown to tan color of the wine. It wasn’t too autumnal, but fruit was not the focus.

2003 Cantina Valpantena Amarone della Vaploicella Falasco
Decent. Not too heavy, like some Amarone, but also not as deep.

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2000 Monsanto Chianti Classico Reserva Il Poggio
First bottle suffered of very, very bad cork taint.
Second bottle was beautiful with a ruby dimension like classic sangiovese. It was suggested that it, too, was corked. I couldn’t detect it, but it was clean and pure by comparison.

2000 Monsanto Nemo
(Cabernet Sauvignon) Light for cabernet. Some spiciness, mellowed lift and a bit of tannin. I wonder about the aging this wine received in barrel.

2005 Antinori Tignanello
I can tell this is good, but I’m again suffering tannin overload and can’t make out details.

After the tasting was over, a friend who has a lot of experience with wine told me a story about a Petrus vertical tasting he was able to sit though years ago. He had a terrible cold and stuffed nose, and could hardly taste anything. Still, he said he was able to predict which vintages would be named the better wines, just on mouthfeel. He said you don't have to be a supertaster to detect the qualities that make wine great.

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2005 Ernie Els Engelbrecht Els
Our tasting takes a sudden shift to the new world. This is much lighter with cocoa and for the first time, a focus on the fruit. Bright.

2003 Rust en Vrede Estate
More of that. Spice and cocoa from easy barrel aging, oak and fruit.

2006 Boekenhoutskloof Chocolate Block
Wow! on the nose. Not a classic, complex wine, but dimensional. If only they made rhubarb Jolly Ranchers, this is what they would taste like. Even a little underripe greenness in the fruit, or maybe plants like aloe or menthol. Lower acidity, peppery. Seems treated with a heavy hand.

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2006 Two Hands Shiraz Gnarly Dudes
Raspberries and fruit and fruit.

2006 Two Hands Shiraz Bella’s Garden
More of the same, with more spice and more fruit. I guess more intense.

2006 Two Hands Shiraz Lilly’s Garden
The most refined of these three. Fruit and…..vanilla?

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2005 Altamura Sangiovese
Deep for sangiovese. There is some cocoa in there along with the plum.

2005 Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards Eloge
Pepper and vegetal qualities suggest cabernet franc (25%!) Pepper includes green and black and there’s some barrel spice in there, too. Very good, but pricey.

2005 O’Shaughnessy Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain
Nice and balanced. Not understated, not huge.

Rosenblum Zinfandel Aparicio 2004

2007-08-14T07:38:00.000-07:00

Rosenblum Zinfandel Aparicio Vineyard 2004

I mentioned this wine in passing, and have now had the chance to open a bottle on my own. In the last nine months or so, it seems to have lightened. Upon opening, it has an overwhelmingly alcoholic nose, which dominates the palate as well. There has to be some level of residual sugar; it actually comes across as a little sweet. It was probably served too warm and needed time to open.

So the cork went back into the bottle, and I tried again the next night, this time cooling it more before tasting. The alcohol is less noticeable, perhaps because of the time open or the cooler temperature. The nose shows a distinctly port-like heavy, raisiny sweetness, which may be misleading as the wine is surprisingly light in color, body, and fruit. The some of the sugarry sweetness has softened, allowing a faint deeper texture through. Some tannin and earthiness, but not enough to be a driving force in the wine.

Backroom Bordeaux

2007-05-23T22:01:00.000-07:00

Imagine me in the back room of a wine store, wine glass in one hand and spit bucket in the other. I’m tasting through some thirty-odd Bordeaux wines as quickly as I can because, let’s face it, I really should get back to work. Vintages range from as recent as 2005 all the way back to 1998. Prices range from $250 (Mouton Rothschild’s Sesquicentennial 2003 vintage) to $8.99 (some generic Bordeaux Superior). Honestly, tasting through as many huge, tannic wines as I possibly can in five minutes pretty much blows my palate.

I really didn’t care for most of the dry whites – I suppose they seem musky or mushroomy. The sweet white Sauternes are quite appealing – one (what was the name?) is incredibly rich and pairs quite well with the almond cookies served. I am pleased to find that some of the more chemical aspects I had noticed at the last tasting I attended are much lesser or completely absent in these Sauternes.

Like I said, churning through all the different reds burned my mouth out and I wasn’t able to really focus on much of anything. I was surprised that, knowing what I do about the 2003 vintage, the Mouton was surprisingly light (or at least less extracted than I expected – it wasn’t really light – perhaps more balanced). Earth and leather dominates these wines, really huge flavors that I’m sure one comes to appreciate more with time (the future of my career more or less depends on it). The Sociando-Mallet 2000 is particularly overwhelmed by underripe green vegetal aspects, more than green pepper, it’s an aspect of the green pepper's vine itself – this is a flawed wine, but my boss says it has devolved. He says it was great when he had tried it about a year before, and expects it to improve again after some extended bottle aging. It didn't "breathe off," as is the often hopeful expectation of such a pronounced flaw.

The fruit tones aren’t absent, they’re masked. They’re harder to pull out from all the other elements, and they’re less (what’s the word - generic?) than some of the more accessible (predictable) wines that I’m accustomed to coming from California. It’s frustrating, because I know that I’m experiencing something great and yet I’m not prepared to appreciate it. Hopefully this type of resource isn’t too infrequent.

Viva la Sweet.

2007-05-08T20:34:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of attending a lengthy tasting this afternoon featuring wines from the AXA Millésimes – a branch of an insurance company fond of finer wines as well as portfolio diversity. This tasting was a challenge, as similar to a certain port tasting, I faced the danger of developing diabetes from all the sugar. Here are my notes with minimal editing.

Disznókő Dry Furmint 2005
Dry Hungarian
Understated – some mineral, faint fruit. Moderately acidic. Sugarless – more floral/aromatic – no sugar. Not great.

Chateau Pibran 2003
Pauillac – 70% Merlot / 30% Cabernet Sauvignon
Nose – spicy, underripe berries. Low on tannin, possibly thin body. Needs to cellar? Great finish, exploding spice, although short. Tannins not supported.

Chateau Pichon Baron 2002
Pauillac – 65% Cabernet / 35% Merlot
Bigger nose. Spice/Earth – much larger wine (still lighter than expected), more tannic, long finish. The fruit is low in the mix – “finesse.” –

Chateau Pichon Baron 2003
[wine omitted from tasting for lack of availability]

Castelnau de Suduiraut 2001
Nose – honey/nectar/sour tartar sauce (or mayonnaise?) – developing to fingernail polish. Quite sweet, oily feel. Acidity is present but overwhelmed. Mellow pear/honey.

Chateau de Suduiraut 2003
Lighter on nose and palate (less chemical). Less weight, less sugar. Acidity is more forward.

Chateau de Suduiraut 2000
Crystals. Subtle/sweet. Even less chemical. Balanced with a tiny spice (balanced acidity). 30% new oak.

Disznókő 6 putts 2000
Tokaji
Lighter. Brighter fruit, honey (sugar?) Fresh – no oak. Flower petal in fruit and sweeter melon – apricot. Well grounded finish. Aging on lees adds structure.

Noval 10 year old Tawny
Brown. Carmel/molasses. Aged style, fruit is quite subtle, (light) molasses style brown sugar.

Noval 2000
Very dark, bzg nose of “red wine” – large, fruit, spice, bit’o’sugar. Plenty of sediment. Maybe too rich.

Like I said, I felt like I was going to get diabetes from all this sugar. The Bordeaux were somewhat unsatisfying, too light in body for their larger tannins and noticeable oakey spice, almost as if they were unsupported and unbalanced. All three vintages of the Sauternes had a chemical quality that certainly was not alcohol, though nobody else in the room seemed to scrunch up their noses as I did. I even checked the nose on a friend’s glass, to be sure whatever it was wasn’t soap residue in my glass. Aside from the chemical odor, the wine was good, though perhaps a bit thick.

The Tokaji was a welcome change, a little more structured and fresh though it didn’t have the same qualities of, well, quality. The two ports were extremes – the tawny had almost no real richness to speak of aside from brown sugar (though that sounds too harsh, I really did like it) and the 2000 vintage was (I’m assuming) in a ‘dead period’ – too much body with very little sweetness. The good qualities of port were eclipsed by too much standard red wine flavor.

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Before heading to the tasting, I managed to try some Austrian wines – a white blend (good), a gruner veltliner (very good), a strange red (not so good), and a fantastic Austrian ice wine, which frankly, I much preferred over the sweeter wines I would go on to taste later in the afternoon.

Which makes me think. I surely wouldn’t have remarked on these Austrian wines (not blogwise, anyway) had I not taken the time to mention this other tasting. I haven’t posted in almost three months, but I taste wines several times a week. While this is mainly a problem of short-term memory and of lacking the opportunity for taking notes, it’s also a function of language and my own self-criticism. What is there to say about all these wines? They’re all really variations on a theme, balancing different chemical influences, varietal characteristics, and regional tendencies to make something unique beyond the infinite yet finite limitations of the English language, even after the expansion of the language in the form of ‘wine talk’ as well as the systematic stealing of other languages’ words (No word in English means terroir? How about using the word ‘terroir’?). The compensation for this real lack of descriptors can often turn into overly poetic descriptions – but in my case, of wines that don’t quite inspire poetry.

I guess what I’m getting at is that I don’t have a lot to say because in choosing among the options of systematic repetition, poetic hyperbole and silence, I tend to lean toward silence.

Gnarly

2007-01-29T09:30:00.000-08:00

Gnarly Head Zinfandel 2005

Very easy to drink with lots of fruit and a little tannin and acidity - but not much. This is training wheels wine, or perhaps it's everyday wine. I mean, it isn't life changing, but it's something to enjoy with dinner tonight.

Genofranco Nero d'Avola 2004

2007-01-22T20:30:00.000-08:00

Pictured is the 2003; I simply could not handle the 2003 when I first tried it. Being even more inexperienced back then than I am now, I insisted that the bottle had gone bad. Now, comparing the 2004 to the '03, I'm convinced that the whole variatal is this way.

The nose on this wine is odd; it comes across like red wine, but with something additional. Not spicy, perhaps salty if one can even smell salt. Reminiscient of ham. Alcohol is very present, especially once the wine is sipped. The 13.5% alcohol content isn't supported by much fruit, and the warmth is noticeable as an alcohol intensity rises up the palate and into the nose. There's an herbacious spice along with leather or maybe tobacco. Austere is a good word. Lots of tannins, and rich, understated blackberries under all that.

It's not for the casual consumer. This is an interesting wine, not entirely pleasurable on it's own, but it has an intensity worth experiencing. Pair with equally intense foods - balsalmic vinegar with oily bruschetta, fatty, rich meats, eggplant with anise-heavy marinara. Quite a value for the usual $10 price tag, if you're looking to experience something interesting.

The Crossings Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2004

2007-01-22T20:03:00.000-08:00

The Crossings Sauvignon Blanc 2004

At first this wine was too cold, which can be deadly to flavor. After warming, it seemed to me to have softened a bit since the last time I've had this, which was about a year ago. What used to be lots of bright, fresh grass and bold citrus has softened to a more generic white wine flavor. The wine, of course, was fine in its youth, but has since spent too much time in a cardboard box in some warehouse somewhere. Two lessons: 1) Drink your white wines, especially your New Zealand sauvignon blancs, as soon as you can, and 2) the Stelvin Enclosure system (read: screw cap) works fine, allowing the wine to age without oxidizing.

Bootleg Puglia

2007-01-17T18:23:00.000-08:00

Maybe I just got a bad bottle, but this sucks. It smells and tastes like a cleaning agent (with some softer fruit underneath!). There are billions of tiny sediment particles floating around but not settling, making decanting a futile affair.

Most of the reviews I've seen on it are pretty positive, though. I must have gotten a bad bottle. A really bad bottle.

Here's a varietal breakdown, just so I remember:

25% Primitivo
25% Negroamaro
25% Montepulciano
25% Uva di Troia

Spain and Canada

2007-01-11T19:13:00.000-08:00

Pares Balta Blanc de Paes

Spain; 2004

A strange but not unpleasant wine. This white is soft and even more perfumey than the Las Brisas was, with just a little softer stonefruit. Not much complexity, just a nice, pleasant softness that manages to be very easy to drink without a trace of sweetness.

The grapes:

23% Macabeo
46% Parellada
31% Xarello

Moosehead Canadian Lager

Why am I even reviewing this? It's a classic. Pretty basic lager, without too much hoppy flavor or anything too bitter, basically without much character. Still, it finishes really clean. And it's totally easy to drink. I'd much rather be slamming these than Bud or Miller or any of that. And it's relatively cheap. Drink it out of the bottle.

What have we had lately?

2007-01-08T20:00:00.000-08:00

Some wines I've had in recent months, plus a couple beers:

Turley Zinfandel Juvenile 2004

Amazingly rich complexity. Deep berry fruit and cocoa as rich as dark chocolate. Actually enjoyed it with chocolate. Almost like unfortified port. Total winner.

Lily Sonoma Pinot Noir 2005

Softer berry fruit like strawberries and light, fresh cherries. Opens up as it sits. A decent amount of complexity with less intensity. Very nice.

Menage a Trois Red 2004

It is what it is. A fun party wine and a cute joke to tell the next day. Easy to drink, lots of soft fruit. Not quite soda or jelly, but almost.

Las Brisas Spanish White 2005

A beautifully soft and floral white. A total steal at six or seven bucks. Light and aromatic, floral with the faintest hint of stonefruit. Crisp but short finish. I could drink this all day.

Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2006

Again, this is what it is. Not the best of the Beaujolais Nouveau that I sampled in 2006, but decent nonetheless. The usual nouveau flavors. You get tired of this wine as you drink it. Next time, I'll have it over ice.

O'Fallon Chocolate Cherry Beer

Strange, fun, and not bad. A beer that actually strives to taste like chocolate covered cherries. There's lots of chocolate, and a sort of fruity sweet cherry which is lost in all the chocolate. Much less dark than I expected, and just a little too sweet.

Hoegaarden

Add this one to my list of favorite wheat beers. A Belgian white, this is softer on the spice but still very rich in flavor. A tiny touch of sweetness and some other, more clean flavor that I can't quite put my finger on - sort of like the crispness of soap, only not in a bad way. This will be in my bar rotation, if only I can find bars that have it on tap.

Cinq Cépages Vertical

2006-11-18T21:55:00.001-08:00

Our store recently held a six-year Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cépages tasting. This wine gained popularity, of course, when it was named “Wine of the Year” by Wine Spectator in 1999, at a surprising suggested retail of $28. Of course, the price has more than doubled since then, but then again a lot of prices have gone up. At any rate, most of the six vintages of Cinq Cépages that we tasted would value in around the $60 asking price, still a value considering some of the (overpriced?) competition on the market today. Winemaker Margot Van Staaveren was there to walk us through the different years.

Here are the notes I scribbled onto my placemat, translated from my sloppy and secretive cursive:

1996

Brick red color. Bright fruit on the nose. Very slight tannins, berry fruit and a hint of bitter chocolate. Full but not overwhelming. Certainly my favorite of the tasting.

1999

A nose of red pepper (?!), with dust and tiny amounts of fruit. A little warm on the mouth with an herbal presence. Interesting, if not great.

2000

Deep brick with a much dustier nose with much more subtle fruit. More fruit on the palate but still balanced. Softer, less pronounced.

2001

Softer, less details on the nose. Warm, mild fruit (light berries) and some spice. This wine lacks firm tannins. (Margo claimed this vintage as her “current favorite. I thought it was a little shy.)

2002

Nose full of jam and tight, young berries. It has seen less age, and is tannic with darker fruits and berries on the palate.

2003

More young fruit but less jammy sweetness on the nose. Big and tannic with some herb and dark chocolate. Obviously needs some aging.

Rosenblum Makes Great Zinfandel

2006-11-02T23:08:00.000-08:00

Had a brief in-store tasting with the a representative from Rosenblum. These guys are putting out some amazing wines at decent prices, and even get consistently high ratings from Spectator and Parker. Here are the wines we tried:

North Coast Rose 2005

A funny hint of what the representative referred to as "the white rine." That is, the watermelon without the sweetness. I disagree; I thought it was closer to watermelon Jolly Ranchers. A bit overpriced, but an interesting rose. 70% Gamay, 30% Grenache.

North Coast Zinfandel 2005

A good blend of zinfandel from Rosenblum's North Coast vineyards. Not as jammy and extracted as the San Francisco Bay, but still quite good. 2005 is even better than 2004.

Carla's Vineyard Zinfandel 2004

Planchon Vineyard Zinfandel 2004

Eagle Point Vineyard Zinfandel 2004

Aparicio Vineyard Zinfandel 2004

To be honest, these zins sort of blur together now. According to my notes, the Planchon had a bit more burnt raisin extraction, and the Eagle Point had noteable mineral tones that lingered for quite a while. All these wines were incredible and are highly recommended. While they do have minor differences, they are consistenly heavy with reasonably high alcohol balanced with huge body and fair amounts of sugar, without overdoing the jam or sweetness.

Rhodes Vineyard Petite Syrah 2004

This wine was incredibly dark in the glass. Heavy with a very full mouthfeel, practically coating the palate. Intense. Very good.

Playing Catch-up pt. 3

2006-10-29T22:06:00.000-08:00

MIDWEST WINE AND FOOD EXPO

There was a major wine tasting. I walked around and tried all of these wines, which were only about a fourth of what was available. Seriously, I had to skip major sections just to get to everything I wanted to try. Most I remember; some I don’t. I had to spit a lot. It turns out you can taste a lot of wines that way, but you’ve got to be careful to still clear that palate during a long string of heavy reds.

The notes in italics are any notes I had the time to scribble down while balancing my papers and wine glass.

Henriot Champagne Blanc NV
Hess Collection Cabernet Sauvignon 2003
Binyamina Chardonnay 2005 -standard
Binyamina “The Cave” 2003
Carmel Hamasrek “The King’s Blend” 2003 -ok
Tapestry Shiraz 2004

Evans & Tate Chardonnay 2004
Montes Alpha Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 -surprisingly good
Achaval Ferrer Malbec 2004
Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2005 -meh
Ch. Bonnet Blanc 2005
Mouton Cadet Blanc 2005 -fresh
Ch. Graville Lacoste 2005
Ch. Carbonnieux Blanc 2003
Bellevue la Mongie Rose 2005
Ch. Doisy Vedrines 2003
Ch. Bernadotte 2003
Ch. La Lagune 2003
Ch. Poujeaux 2003
Ch. Beycheville 2003
Ch. Lagrange 2003
Ch. Gruaud Larose 2003
Ch. Pibran 2003
Ch. Grand Puy Ducasse 2003
Ch. Clerc Milon 2002
Ch. Meyney 2003
Ch. Phelan Segur 2003
Haut Marbuzet 2003
Las Brisas 2005 -refreshing after all that Bordeaux
Nora 2005
Gelida Cava “Brut Exclusive” 2002
Borsao Rose 2005
Garnacha de Fuego 2005
Luzon 2005 -I think I don’t like grenache
Cycles Gladiator Pinot Grigio 2005 -sticky sweet
Cycles Gladiator Pinot Noir 2005
Cycles Gladiator Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 -okay
Hugo Gruner Veltliner 2005
Mettler Cabernet Sauvignon 2002 -beautiful
Robert Craig Affinity Cabernet 2003
Mettler Petite Syrah 2003
“J” Sparkling 2000
Two Hands Angel’s Share Shiraz 2005 - :)
Laurent Perrier Rose NV
Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle NV
Giesen Sauvignon Blanc 2005
Wishing Tree Shiraz 2004
Hewitson Miss Harry GSM 2004
Shoo Fly Shiraz 2004 - :(
d’Arenberg Coppermine Cabernet 2003
d’Arenberg Laughing Magpie 2004
d’Arenberg Ironstone Pressing 2003
Chateau Tayac Margaux 2000
Marquis Philips Shiraz 2004
Parson’s Flat Shiraz/Cab 2004
Paringa Sparkling Shiraz 2004 -gross as hell
Hawk Crest “Red Hills” Cabernet 2004
Stag’s Leap “Artemis” Cabernet 2004 -rough
Stag’s Leap “Fay” Cabernet 2003 -tight
Raymond Reserve Cabernet 2002
Rosenblum San Francisco Bay Zin 2004
Rosenblum Paso Robles Zin 2004
Rosenblum Vintner’s Cuvee Syrah 2004
Rosenblum Heritage Clones Petite Syrah 2004
Kenwood Artists Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
Fisher Coach Cabernet Sauvignon 2001
Girard Red 2002 -soft

Piper Heidsieck Brut NV
Merryvale Starmont Cabernet 2003
Merryvale Profile 2002 -supple
Sterling Napa Cabernet Sauvignon 2003
Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2003
Zind Humbrecht “Zind” 2003
Ramey Chardonnay, Hudson 2003
Whitehall Lane Cabernet Sauvignon 2003
Darioush Cabernet Sauvignon 2003
Conundrum 2005
Stag’s Leap Winery Cabernet 2003
Lorentz Pinot Blanc Reserve 2005 - :(

Lorentz Riesling Reserve 2005
Lorentz Pinot Gris Reserve 2005
Lorentz Gewurztraminer Reserve 2004
Domaine Parent Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2003
BR Cohn Olive Hill Cabernet 2001
Merques de Casa Concha Cabernet 2004
Banfi Chianti Classico Riserva 2003
Allegrini Amarone 2001 - :) !!!
L de Lyeth Cabernet 2004
Lyeth Meritage 2003
Hayman & Hill Cabernet 2003
Hayman & Hill Pinot Noir 2005
Hartwell Cabernet Sauvignon 2002
Cloud 9 “Seity” Zinfandel 2004 -excellent

X-Winery X-Red 2004
Cline Ancient Vines Zinfandel 2005
Cline Ancient Vines Mourvedre 2004
Consentino “The Zin” 2004
Consentino “Cigar Zin” 2005
Consentino Napa Cabernet 2002
Ferrari Carano Cabernet Savignon 2003
Ferrari Carano Siena 2003
Beringer Reserve Cabernet 2002
Chateau St. Jean California Cabernet 2003 - :(

Chateau St. Jean Cinq Cepages 2002 - :)
Franciscan Magnificat 2002
Estancia Meritage 2003
Cerreto Barolo Zonchero 2001 -no
Newton Claret 2003
Chandon Chardonnay 2004
Moet Nectar NV
Moet White Star NV
Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label NV
Ruinart Blanc de Blanc NV
Chandon Etoile NV
Baron Herzog Cabernet Jeunesse 2005 – ewwwww
Baron Herzog Special Reserve Cab/Syrah 2002
Barkan Reserve Cabernet 2002
Barkan Petite Syrah 2004 – soft and fleshed out

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MARGAUX

I also had the opportunity (at the same event) to sit through a Bordeaux seminar, specifically through some of the greatest Margaux. My notes, cleaned up for the internet:

Cantenac Brown 2003
N – Plum jam, almost raisin-like burn.
M – Supple and smooth, partially full mouthfeel, healthy.

Prieure Lichine 2003
N – Dustier, with vanilla and oak, berries.
M – Something young, modest. Needs age.

Lascombes 2001
N – Big fruit…plenty of merlot.
M – Vegetation under the fruit. Tight and tannic.

Rauzan Segla 2003
N – Vanilla and floral scents.
M – Too much oak. Not much else, some understated fruit. Massive tannins.

Palmer 1999
N – Subtle. Perfume; delicate fruit and pollen.
M – Massive tannin. Very rich.

Margaux 1999
N – Deep red fruits – raspberry, plum, cassis.
M – Dust, underripe berries. Fantastic, and it still feels boldly young after seven years.

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Needless to say, my lips were bluish purple the day after this tasting.

Playing Catch-up pt. 2

2006-10-26T16:52:00.000-07:00

THE PORT TASTING

Recently, I got the chance to go through a pretty reasonable selection of vintage ports and red table wines from the Duoro. Interesting and educational.

The first three were red table wines from the Duoro region, which I didn’t particularly care for. It seems that if you’re going to get a red wine, you should look for something that isn’t so heavily limited in varietal and climate as these. The table wines are still thick and almost too rich, reflecting some of the heavy residual sugar of actual ports, while missing that comfortable full roundness of something like a California zinfandel.

The vintage ports were certainly great. The quality was instantly noticeable, especially to someone like me who had previously only sampled shiraz- or zinfandel- based ‘port’ wines from outside of Portugal. These wines are great, but often leave a thick sugary finish that can get pretty cloyingly sweet. It was quite interesting to note how age affected the ports over the years. They start off as a balance of fruit and sugar and full body. First the fruit falls back in the mix to expose something more subtle, like spice and chocolate. The wine stays balanced as these complexities emerge, around the ten or even twenty year mark. After that the more intricate complexities also fall out, making the older bottles a sort of a disappointment. The sweetness lingers as the other flavors fade back and the port actually seems to thin. This leaves something less than perfect, like drinking a sweetener with little other flavor.

The following is pretty much a direct copy of my notes, only transcribed into readable sentences:

Dow’s 2004 Vale do Bomfim Douro Reserva

Ruby colored. On the nose, a floral hint, and the usual smell of generic red wine. Noticeably less sweet than regular port. A little thin on the mouth, with very little acidity. Dusty soil and thin fruit, with slight but present tannins.

Post Scriptum Douro 2004

Again, ruby colored. This one has more structure but still isn’t huge by any means. Oak is present on the nose and in the mouth. This wine is also a bit soft. Our speaker compared the bottle to a tempranillo feel with less oak.

Chryseia 2001 Douro

Ruby. Much more fruit on the nose of this wine! The nose of jammy sweetness. The mouth is more full with a nice finish. In contrast to the nose, there is less fruit on the palate. Deep, dark fruit under a soft wine with tannins far below everything else.

Dow’s Qinta da Senhora da Ribeira 2004 Vintage Port

Finally some port. This has a deep ruby color. On the nose, alcohol. Rubbing alcohol, and a little subdued fruitiness. The mouth has tons of residual sugar and heavy, ripe fruit. This wine seems comparable to a young, heavy, sugary California zinfandel.

Graham’s 2003 Vintage Port

Alcohol on the nose, but much less. The wine is quite sweet and sugary. Rich. A huge finish.

Dow’s 2003 Vintage Port

Even less alcohol on the nose. The flavors are more subtle, round and underspoken. Slightly spicy on the finish.

Dow’s 1994 Vintage Port

The color has now shifted to a dusty, brick red. Again, alcohol is more noticeable on the nose, along with some spice and fruit. The flavor is perhaps herbal, and perhaps a bit burnt, like raisins out in the sun too long.

Graham’s 1991 Vintage Port

Dustier in color. Something like chocolate with a hint of spice, and perhaps a bit metallic on the finish, with lots more spice.

Graham’s 1983 Vintage Port

Brick red, in contrast to the burnt sienna colors of the previous two. Again, softer with some chocolate. Maybe herbs, or even grass.

Dow’s 1977 Vintage Port

Sediment is present. Much lighter in color, almost clear at the very edge of the glass. The nose has cinnamon and other spices, and a honey-sweetness is very heavy (The speaker disagrees with this, suggesting that this port has no sweetness on the nose). The mouthfeel is much softer, very light. The flavor is thin yet explosive, with an alcohol presence. Very long finish.

Graham’s 1970 Vintage Port

Again sediment, colored a light brick fading to orange. There is a disintegrating sweetness on the underwhelming nose. The wine is thin but still quite sweet. Any trace of berry fruitiness has disappeared.

Graham’s Six Grapes

Quite thick and dark. A little more cloying sweetness than even the ’03 and ’04 ports. Still a very good bottle of port. I’ll have to recommend it to anyone who doesn’t want to pay eighty dollars a bottle for a vintage port.

Playing Catch-up pt. 1

2006-10-26T16:39:00.000-07:00

Pillar Box Red 2005

Beautiful and full of fruit. Almost 60% Cabernet offers some tannic backbone, but the Aussie-style shiraz-heavy fruit is what shines through. Really full body and mouth-coating. A serious deal at less than 10 bucks.

Domaine de Roche Saint Jean - Beaujulais Morgon 2004

Something cheap on closeout. Not bad, considering what it is, which is soft and light and easy to drink. I guess there’s a reason that wine from Beaujulais never seems to break 90 points on any scale, but there are always folks out there who like to drink softer wines.

Heitz Cellars

Heitz Chardonnay 2005

Light and crisp, quite beautiful. A tiny influence of oak but not too much by any means. A quencher, in the mood of sauvignon blanc while still patently chardonnay.

Heitz Grigolino

Strange, and not in a good way. This wine has an almost sugary-sweet nose, like how a sweet blush would taste. In the mouth it is much more dry than expected, very thin, and just a little unpleasant. I guess a non wine drinker might like this, but I can’t see why.

Heitz Bella Oaks 2001
Heitz Bella Oaks 1996
Heitz Martha's Vineyard 2001
Heitz Napa 2001

It is now a few weeks after trying these wines, so I’ve lost the specific differences other than the up-front green vegetal nature of the ’96. I thought all were of reasonable quality, fitting the definition of cabernet with big tannins and subdued fruit, they did not live up to their reputation. Even the Martha’s vineyard seemed to be lacking something.

Heitz Port

They try to keep this one faithful to Port by using original port varietals found in the Duoro. I might suggest that those grapes are best suited to growing in the harsh climates of Portugal and not the lush environment in California. The wine tends to be too thin for a port (yet too heavy and syrupy for any other kind of wine) which I suggest is a result of too much rain and too large and heavy of grapes.

Mojito Time!

Following the latest drink craze, I've learned to mix my own mojitos. It's not tough, but it is sort of time consuming. Mint leaves, lime, rum, simple sugar, and soda makes a great drink.

Blaufränkisch

2006-09-13T21:56:00.000-07:00

Last winter, it must have been before the new year, my girlfriend and I visited a the Czech part of a city near her school. It was interesting, but sort of dead. There were a couple of restaurants, a doughnut shop, a lot of empty storefronts, and a combination upholstery shop, furniture store, and local chamber of commerce, and wine shop. We asked the only employee in the furniture store, actually the only employee in the building, if the wine shop was ever open. She unlocked it for us. She asked if we would like to try samples, and I tried some white which I'm sure had been open for quite a while. On a whim and a risk, I bought a bottle of red. It said this on the front:

Blaufränkisch

The only other information I can really get is that it was made in the Czech Republic and was produced and bottled by Vinné Skepy Lechovice. Based on the digital date print on the back - it reminds me of a timestamp burned into a photograph - I think some significant event happened in the life of this wine at 09:10 on October 21, 2004. Unless of course, the numbers mean something else.

The wine is surprisingly good. I mean, I was probably overcharged, but I can see how this grape could be used to make something really marvelous and rounded. It's sort of light on the tannins, which is okay. It had the nose and flavor of tight, not yet ripe wildberries, not to suggest the wine itself was unripe. It had taken on an almost but not quite dusty hue. The finish wasn't too strong, but over time it continued growing more round and fleshed out. Enjoyable but not intense. I'll never have another bottle, and that's okay with me, but I'm glad I had the chance.

Have you ever listened to some recording that nobody will ever hear unless they really dig deep to find it? I guess this is sort of like that. There's a lot to appreciate in this world, and even something seemingly insignificant might be worth searching out. Not that I'm suggesting you should go to your local wine shop requesting Vinné Skepy Lechovice Blaufränkisch. They'll probably look at you funny. But I'm saying there's beauty out there if you just dig it up.

Cheap Guys and More

2006-09-05T22:50:00.000-07:00

2 Buck Chuck

Charles Shaw

Well, I moved to Chicago, which means I finally got the chance to go to a Trader Joe’s and pick up a couple bottles of the (in)famous Two Buck Chuck. It was $2.99.

The cabernet sauvignon fits the profile for a modest cab. Maybe a bit too much residual sugar with a sort of darker, almost sun-burnt fruit. Raisins or prunes, maybe. There is a tannic structure here; it is weak but present. The finish is quick, not foul but not good. It really does feel like one is consuming real wine, which is novel considering the fact that it costs less than a bottle of Arbor Mist. This is not an elegant wine, nor is it ultimately satisfying or interesting, but I wouldn’t be afraid to pour it at some function. Not that I host functions, but if I did, well, I wouldn’t be embarrassed to pour this for two hundred of my closest, drunkest friends.

I chose a bottle of sauvignon blanc in lieu of the chardonnay. I’m still loathing value chardonnays. The sauv blanc certainly is better than I had expected it to be. Almost floral perfume prepares you for the softness of the wine. It isn’t complex but it isn’t watery, either. It’s just light. Not too much cloying sweetness, which I did expect. What seems to me an awful but quick finish actually appealed to my girlfriend, who isn’t very experienced with wine.

Though neither wine was ultimately gratifying, the fact that they are so cheap warrants that they must be tried if the opportunity comes up. It just shows you the potential of glut juice. I’d expect to pay $7 or $8 for these guys in a different market. Which brings me to…

Three Blind Moose

Brought to you by the Trinchero Family

This marketing gimmick seems to have worked. People buy cute labels. What is inside this line of bottles is terrible. In a fair world, people would be paying $3 for Three Blind Moose, and $7 for Two-Buck Chuck. I’m not trying to be cute. Three Blind Moose sucks.

The chard has no complexity, which is masked behind just enough wood and sur-lies aging to qualify it as a dry wine. The merlot, too, has no body, total lack of tannin, is flaccid, or better yet, impotent. I’d rather drink concord grape juice. In fact, you know what? I’m going to the fridge right now to get some concord grape juice.

Stella Artois

Instead of concord grape juice, I grabbed a Stella Artois. Hey, I have to get rid of them.

This was just coming into the market I recently left. I never got a chance to try it until I came here, and picked up an over-priced six pack. This beer does not have the qualities I look for in beer, but then I’m a fan of European wheat-style beers. I do enjoy the occasional Corona or Heineken, mostly at Red Lobster, since there’s nothing better to do at a Red Lobster than stand there with a beer, and there’s nothing better at a Red Lobster to drink than a bottle of Corona or Heineken, both known for relative amounts of skunkiness. And this little guy, Stella Artois, it manages to outskunk them both.

Straw-colored, fine bubbles with a fine, thick head that will give you a beer mustache if you’re not careful. The beer is all hops and malt. Quite skunky. I’m pretty sure it’s supposed to be an easy-drinker and doesn’t have a lot of body or actual content once it’s going down. And if you don’t get your Stella Artois cold enough before drinking, it can only be described with one word: gross. Drink it fast, before it gets cold! Still, like a lot of beers, after you choke one bottle down, the rest go easily.

Final verdict? Satisfying after a long day of hard work, then coming home to find that you have no other beer in the fridge. Ahhhhhh.

Hahn and More

2006-07-05T10:22:00.000-07:00

Chateau Ste. Michelle Indian Welles Merlot 2002

Did I say I liked Indian Welles Cabernet? I like the merlot a lot, too. Deep and rich and not overwhelmingly tannic. Way way way worth the $2 more to upgrade from Chateau Ste. Michelle's everyday line.

HAHN ESTATES

These guys are coming up in the next wine tasting hosted at the store. They have some fascination with roosters, yet they are not Gallo. These are the guys who originally brought you Rex Goliath, the 47 pound rooster that everybody loves.

Hahn Monterray Merlot 2004

Yeah, this is okay. I mean, there's a little depth to the juice but it's pretty acidic and I'm pretty sure my bottle had just the slightest of slight cork taints.

Hahn Monterray Chardonnay 2004

Decent chardonnay, not too oaky but there's still some wood in there. Not a lot of fruit presence, but I might have been drinking it too cold. Decent, but I don't really think it's worth the price.

Hahn Central Coast Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Why would they get their Cabernet juice - for this bottle and also the Meritage - from outside of Monterray? Even the back of the label on this bottle brags about how the family winery is in Monterray county. The juice here is sourced from out there somewhere in the Central Coast. Still, the wine has a great nose, right on profile for a cab. The wine itself is sort of simple, not totally lacking in complexities, but too full of mineral and pretty dry. Mineral finish, too, which lasts quite a while. I'm not crazy about it, but you might be.

Hahn Central Coast Meritage 2004

Tons of merlot on the nose, which is good, better than the merlot I had earlier. Really nice color. I must be a little spoiled because I wasn't really crazy about this one, either. I mean, it's got some character but it just doesn't jump out of the glass. Maybe I'm just too American, maybe it's the overall subdued fruit in the Hahn wines.

Smith & Hook Santa Lucia Highlands Cabernet Sauvignon 2002

From the really dark garnet color, you'll know this cab is serious. Bold tannins that don't overpower, but could use some age - two, three years? Deep, and like the Hahn wines, the fruit takes a back seat to the acidity and tannin, while fitting the varietal profile. As this is a Hahn selection, it will be the highlight of our upcoming wine tasting.

Renwood

A quick note about the Renwood Select Series. We tried these a few weeks ago, and I have to say that for wines less than $10, these knocked my socks off. I'd guess that the fact that the wines are out-of-the-spotlight varietals allows them to come out with some fantastic stuff. They're all really jammy and fruit-forward, but still full-bodied. Would be a really good step-up wine for someone trying to get into reds or more serious wines. Also a good every-day wine for a more serious wine drinker. Money money. Unfortunately, the zin we had was corked, but the syrah and berbera really caught my interest. Oh, and the Renwood viogneir was probably the best I've had.

Some Good / Some Terrible

2006-06-06T21:29:00.000-07:00

Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio

Good, quite dry for a pinot grigio, and complex.

Also too expensive.

BV Reserve Dulcet

Not shocking that I'm a fan of this wine. BV knows wine, and this blend is a great illustration of that fact. I guess it's an Aussie-style blend of syrah and cab, which gives it a fairly developed sense of depth and fruit at the same time. It's rich like a cab while fruity. Tannins are present but not too tight - totally use a decanter but don't wait too long.

Relax Cool Red

Schmitt Sohne has been incredibly successful with their Relax Riesling. Great graphic presentation, great name, decent marketing. I know for a fact that I get my mom a bottle of Relax from time to time. And the riesling in the bottle really isn't that bad, either.

Not the case with the red. It freaking sucks. It just tastes wierd. It's not nearly as sweet as you'd expect, which means it's not all that approachable by its primary targeted consumer, which is my mom.

Fünf Riesling

Oh no! Another German Reisling with the Umlaut! You people in the marketing department are fired. You all must listen to heavy metal.

Okay.

Fünf is German for five, apparently. So the back of the bottle says "fun begins at five" and there's a big number five on the front of the frosted bottle. The whole thing is just a marketing nightmare. I think they think everyone in the world should drink relatively cheap German wine every day after getting off work.

I don't get off until six, jerks.

Relax got the hook. You'll all have to try a bit harder to match them.

(Update: Funf is made by the same company that makes relax. Huh.)

Seagram's Distiller's Reserve Gin

This gin smells like paint thinner. It's something like 104 proof, which is shocking if you're looking for a balanced gin. Keep in mind that I like Beefeater. Our guys were totally able to mix up a gin & tonic that was just right with this gin - granted it took a lot of lime. I, on the other hand, was not able to choke down even the gin & juice that I poured for myself.

The secret is to know what the hell you're doing.

A Week's Worth of Excitement

2006-05-25T21:46:00.000-07:00

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.

-----

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

2006-05-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

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

2006-05-10T18:48:00.000-07:00

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

2006-05-03T19:48:00.000-07:00

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.

South Africa

2006-04-28T18:24:00.000-07:00

When Greg told me that this month's wine club would be tasting South African wines, I thought it sounded strange and exotic. After all, when I think of wine, I don't think of South Africa. So I did some research and found that in fact, wine is an important part of South Africa's economy and the country produces 3.1% of the world's wine. Most of the grapes are grown on the coast where the range of soil types and moderate climate allows for a variety of grapes to develop character and complexity. White wines make up 55% of those made in the region. Greg brought two of these, Westerland Unwooded Chardonnay and Westerland Celebration. He also brought Headbutt Vintners Reserve for our private tasting. Of the three, I liked Celebration the best because it was sweet and easy to drink. As a novice wine consumer, I do not think South African wine stands out from wines of other countries, but it's worth trying some for the experience.

-Melissa

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Westerland Celebration

This white blend is really, really light. It's got a nose sort of like pinot grigio, which is deceptive as the wine itself is relatively dry and might have spent some time in wood. Not too complex but not undrinkable, either.

Headbutt White

I can only think of one wine I have ever had that was lighter in taste than this (Oroyo is made specifically to pair with and not overpower the subtle flavors of sushi). If I'm looking for a complex white to dive into and meditate, this isn't it. If I'm looking for a wine I can drink three bottles of without getting dry-mouth or a sweet-wine tummy-ache. Yeah, not great.

Westerland Unwooded Chardonnay

I now realize that that funky flavor I always attributed to too much oak in bad chardonnay is actually just bad chardonnay. Thank you for helping me realize this, Westerland.

Headbutt Red

There is something seriously funky in there. The nose is dominated by the merlot - the fruity jam rises above anything else. Again, the nose is deceptive. The actual taste is filled out with cinsaut and pinotage, both of which are a tad funky.

Westerland Shiraz

Not as jammy as I'd expected. Much more subdued than, say, an Australian Shiraz. In the same price range as a decent shiraz, say, Rosemount's Hill of Gold Shiraz. If the price dropped a couple of bucks, I'm sure it would taste a lot better.

Westerland Pinotage

Pinotage is a uniquely South African blend of Pinot Noir and Cinsaut, usually blended with Cabernet. It's fairly extracted and intense in flavor. But it really is funky. Pretty sure it's the funky in that funky Headbutt Red blend. Everyone should try this once or maybe twice. But that's it.

A Couple of Beers.

2006-04-19T19:22:00.000-07:00

Boulevard Zon

I have always loved Boulevard Wheat. It's good; it's mellow; it's smooth. It's great with an orange. Then I tried imported German wheats. They blew my mind. Wheat seems sort of ... simple in comparison.

Zon is a much more flavorful contribution from Boulevard. This Belgian style white has a tiny bit of orange peel, and some of that underlying spice found in a German (or Belgian) wheat. Blue Moon is the only Belgian White Beer that I've had, and this is much more complex than that. Zon isn't perfect, though. It's got a sort of hollowed-out beer alcohol flavor under everything else, towards the end of my sip. But the spice in the finish comes in and covers it up again and then I smile.

A quick note; Leinie's Sunset Wheat

Tried this one a few weeks ago. This wheat beer also crosses beyond anything its company has done so far. So far, Leinenkugel's has come out with Honey Weiss and Berry Weiss (I haven't had their Oktoberfest), and neither has the complexities to live up to the expectations that other craft breweries have set. And this is really good! It's got the German wheat spice, only it also has the seemingly trademark bitterness that comes with all Leinenkugel's beer.

Sea Dog Bluepaw Wild Blueberry Wheat Ale

A friend working the counter at another liquor store in my chain suggested this beer. I'm jealous of their massive amount of cold beer space. So he says "Try this one. It's our best seller. It's light like But Light but it's got this nose just like fresh blueberries! It's great!" And then he added a line that I always add, "Come back and let me know what you thought." It made me cringe.

Yes, this beer is sort of cool. It really smells like blueberries. Fresh, fresh blueberries. And it tastes like beer with a pretty healthy hint of blueberries. Fresh, fresh blueberries.

Blueberries!

And that's it. My friend was right about Bluepaw being as light as Bud Light. In fact there are no flavors that identify this beer as a "wheat ale." The blueberries are neat, but there's nothing else there. Boring assed beer. Where's the wheat? Where's the ale? My advice: try this beer. One bottle, mixed in a mix-and-match six pack with five Kronenbourgs. Or five Zons.

Scotch Scotch Scotch

2006-04-16T20:07:00.000-07:00

We had a Scotch tasting at the store.

Chivas Regal 12 Year Old
Chivas Regal 18 Year Old
Abelour 10 Year Old Single Malt
The Glenlivet 15 Year French Oak Reserve
Isle of Jura Superstition Blend

The Glenlivet 21 Year Old Archive

The Superstition was by far the most unique; it's full of peat and smoky body. Of course the 21 was the smoothest of the bunch. Not a bad one in the whole bunch.

A night at Spezia, part 1 of 2 (hopefully)

2006-04-10T17:00:00.000-07:00

Gloria Ferrer Carneros Cuvée

Oh my goodness this sparkling wine is awesome. Seriously. Gloria Ferrer Carneros is my new target for what sparkling anything should taste like. It’s not bone dry – I’ve never seen the point in that – but it’s not syrupy sweet, either. A great balance of fruit and dry pull. The bubbles settle very quickly in the glass but explode on the palate. The really surprising thing about Gloria the Cuvée is that it will sell for less than sixty dollars. Yeah.

Newton Unfiltered Chardonnay

As often as I can, I pronounce my lack of faith in chardonnay. It’s either over-oaked and underdeveloped or overly fruity and equally simplistic. This is the exception. It’s got just enough oak to add that vanilla-spice intensity without covering up the supportive fruits underneath. And a really complex finish that lingers and makes you wonder what it is you’re tasting.

Monchhof "Slate" Riesling Spatlese

Not syrupy in the least, which is pleasant for something this sweet. Other than that, I was a lot less impressed with this spatlese than everyone else. It lacked complexity and was overpriced. And the bottle wasn’t attractive enough to sell. Nothing wrong with the wine, but it just didn’t capture me.

Sterling "Three Palms" Merlot

A decent merlot. Dry enough, but sort of thin for what I was expecting. Then again, it’s merlot. Not as much jam as I was hoping. Not terrible.

Chateau Meyney 1998

You’d think a ‘98 Bordeaux would be all ready to go, but this guy was just too fresh, partly given away by the still lingering ruby color and underripe fruit. The tannins had almost all aged off exposing greenish fruit that could use a little more time in the sun.

Fetish Wines "The Watcher"

This $20 Barossa shiraz can compete with the Two Hands Shiraz that sells from five to twenty-five dollars more. So juicy and intense – drink this if you ever get the chance. Shiraz is quickly becoming one of my favorites.

Also, the haiku on the back of the bottle has one too many syllables in the last line.

More Wines

2006-04-05T20:30:00.000-07:00

am - Sokol Blosser

Evolution

Meditrina

Sokol Blosser Pinot Gris

Sokol Blosser Pinot Noir

pm - Class 6 of 6 at NWS: Cab Day

Tables Creek Mourvedre

Ravenswood Lodi Zinfandel

Clos Du Bois Dry Creek Zinfandel

Girard Napa Cabernet Franc

Ferrari-Carano Cabernet Sauvignon

Trinchero Founders Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 1996

Trinchero Main Street Cabernet Sauvignon 2001

Mentevina Zinfandel Port

A lot of these wines were really good. I don't really have any room for any of them, and I don't know how quickly they'd sell. But they're pretty darned good.

2006-04-01T21:47:00.000-08:00

These wines kick ass. New stuff from Philip Shaw. You know, the guy who made Shiraz for Rosemount and ended up spreading the grape through America? So the publicity from Cumulus Wines goes. He did the Hill of Gold Shiraz. He did the Show Reserve Cab (I think?). And then he left Fosters/Beringer/Southcorp. He's got a new line of Aussies out and available in limited quantities. And we tried them.

Rolling Sauvignon Blanc / Semillon

For the price, the two Rolling wines are sort of a mass consumption wine. They're softer than I expected.

The semillon in this blend really cuts out the usual overly citrus bite in (cheaper) sauv blanc, which I find really cool. The nose was floral with a softness like pears or baked apple. My tasting notes say "lively palate." What that means to me is that there is an alcohol burn, but it takes place in the nose instead of the roof or back of the mouth. I think that's neat. Neat!

Rolling Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot

Again, this wine was a lot softer than I first expected. The merlot really cut down the tannins in the cab. The result isn't bad, really, it's just the softer wine you'd expect from Australia at about $10. There's fruit here. It's not bad but I had a tough time picking out specifics. The finish was pretty quick, too.

Climbing Chardonnay

Despite my bitchy criticism of excessive oaking and chardonnays in general, I can say that both the Climbing wines we tried really were a deal. We were asking $13 for both of these, and I really think they compare to pricier bottles from better-known labels.

I'm tired of chardonnay. 30% of the juice has seen something like six months in French Oak, so it's got just enough wood and vanilla to seem like chardonnay. I could smell it, and I could taste it. Honestly, it tasted like chardonnay. It was the only wine I poured out without finishing.

As an afterthought, I realize that I never have anything good to say about chards, ever. I guess it's part of my palate that I need to work on.

Climbing Shiraz

The shiraz has seen even more wood than the chard - 100% of it in French, actually. But the shiraz grape just isn't as delicate, and Shaw knows how to do shiraz. I get lots of jam, seemingly deeper and darker colors (?) on my tonuge. The fruit is heavy but not saggy. Right? I think this just almost compares with the Show Reserve, and is right there in price.

Philip Shaw No. 19 Sauvignon Blanc

The sauv blanc got the gold in my book. It's really fantastic. It's brisk and vibrant and doesn't bite too much. Citrus fruits, more than just grapefruit, with a sort of light green vegetal sense as well.

Philip Shaw No. 17 Merlot Blend

The blend here is pretty simple - 60% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 20% Cabernet Franc. Take that, Claret producers! I can sense that this wine will be good someday, but is a disappointment now in 2006. The notes say it will last up to 15 years (and with a screw-ca...er...Stelvin Closure!). I don't know if it will really take that long to develop, but a few years sure wouldn't hurt it. The familiar cabernet tannins aren't too strong, leaving room for the thinner dryness from the cab franc and merlot. The fruit was nice and dark and rich, leaning more toward the plums and cherries of merlot but supported a little by something weightier.

Anyway, it was a nice night. Not a real disappointment in the bunch, and that's really all we can ask.

Freemark Abbey Napa Cabernet

2006-04-01T05:14:00.000-08:00

Freemark Abbey Cabernet

Napa Valley, 2001

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Roommate and I both got new Riedel glasses. We're nerds. So to celebrate, I opened up that bottle of Concannon Petite Syrah that I'd been holding on to. Damn thing was corked. That's a shame, too, because it hurt me to pour that inky purple juice down the drain. And now the sink's stained.

So John says he'll just open a bottle of Freemark Abbey Cab instead. Okay.

Pretend this label says something about 2001.

This wine is really, really good. It's really what to expect in a cab; maybe a little softer and a little more jammy than you'd expect. Full nose of fruit; sipping was intense but followed with balanced light tannins. The finish lingered so long I woke up tasting the stuff.

It was totally ready to go - I told him not to hold onto his other bottle too much longer. He's also got a bottle of their Sycamore Cab. Note to self: be around when that gets opened.

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The other useful lesson of the night came in the comparison of the new crystal with the old little glass goblets we had been using before. There were noticeable differences in the taste of the wine in the two glasses. The little glass guys (which have been washed in the dishwasher) actually added a bitter overtone to the wine. Soap, probably? Anyway, we really think we're cool now.

Merlot Day.

2006-03-29T21:39:00.000-08:00

Today was merlot (and other reds) day at the classes I've been taking at NWS.

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Montevina Amador County Barbera

Covey Run Merlot

Geyser Peak Merlot

Franciscan Napa Merlot

Genofranco Syrah

Francis Coppola Syrah/Shiraz

Penfold's "Koonunga Hill" Shiraz

Bogle Petite Sirah

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In my humble opinion, there was nothing really special about the barbera, Covey Run, Geyser Peak, and Penfold's Koonunga. It's not that they weren't good; they just weren't exceptional. The Sicilian would be a real European training wine - it's thin and tannic with really subdued fruits like any old-world wine without all the consuming soil of a French wine. It's interesting but I sure wouldn't want to have to drink too much of it.

Thank God we got to the Franciscan Napa Merlot. Everything until then was quick and weak and a little fruity. Franciscan, on the other hand, manages to make a decent, heavy merlot (Rambo suggested that their merlot was aimed at cabernet drinkers). Not only are there more interesting and developed fruits, but they are balanced with tannins; as the fruit fades back in the palate allowing the tannins to seem to swell and linger. Really interesting wine.

The Coppola Syrah/Shiraz (Both are the same grape. It's up to the wine maker to decide which will sell better. Apparently the folks at Coppola think that both will sell better.) was paired with the Sicilian, which made Coppola's wine seem even more full and balanced. I noted that it might even be a little bit fat. I should try this on it's own, with some thick red pasta sauce and eggplant parmesean.

The Bogle Petite Sirah could have been the highlight of the night. Well, if I had the Franciscan after seven other wines I might have liked it more. But this petite sirah is by far the most interesting wine of the night. It is sweeter than standard syrah and merlot, inkier and more extracted from those tiny little grapes. The nose is deceptive; it's sort of earthy or organic with dried leaves and vanilla from the oak barells. There's the tiniest hint of cherries on the back of the tongue underneath a inky, jammy, tightly packed wine. It lasts, but not too long. I've got a bottle of Concannon Petite Sirah sitting around here somewhere. Looking forward to it.

California

2006-03-21T12:43:00.000-08:00

Spent some time in California. There's seriously too much to type. What an awesome trip.

Spring Trade Show

2006-03-08T19:45:00.000-08:00

Busy times at InPlay tonight. NWS put on their trade show, and we the businesspeople got to taste lots of stuff, new and old, from lots and lots of companies. A few highlights of the things I had and thought to take note of:

Raymond "R Collection" Cabernet; Napa

Standard napa cabernet, well balanced fruit and tannins. Nothing extremely special but not dissapointing. Very striking label. I'm thinking Raymond would be a great focus for a wine club.

Lindauer Brut; New Zealand

Probably worth it at $10.99, though not too complex. Elegant bottle from Mumm family. Get it if there's a little room.

Ernie Bosch Stellenbosch; South Africa

This is the South African blend using Bordeaux grapes. Very interesting. I really didn't care for the nose, as it was intense and unpleasant. The wine itself is rich and intense but backs off quickly. European earthiness isn't far under the dark berry fruit and tannins.

Goosecross Cabernet; Napa & Howell Mountain

A friend whose opinion I respect suggested that I try these, and mentioned that I should notice that the Napa is better than the more reserve Howell Mountain (which is somewhere inside of Napa). He was right; the Napa is just stellar and ready to go, while it is harder to judge the Howell Mountain because it's just too green at this point. This would be an awesome bottle to sit on for maybe two or three years.

Another list.

2006-03-03T18:38:00.000-08:00

Another Class at NWS. Here's what we had:

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Louis Latour Beaujolais-Villages

Terra D'Oro Sangiovese

Camop Viejo Tempranillo

Concha y Toro Casillero Del Diablo Carmenere

Bodega Norton "Mendoza" Malbec

Baron Phillipe Rothschild Pinot Noir

Trinity Oaks Pinot Noir

Robert Mondavi "Carneros" Pinot Noir

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The beaujolais was as to be expected; soft and easily approachable. Probably would have been better if the weather was warmer and the wine cooler.

The sangiovese was good. I like a good chianti. It's really how you imagine wine will be when you're a kid: rich enough that it's not just juice but with enough fruit that it seems rich. Strange that this sangiovese comes from California.

The malbec was a lot softer than I'd expect. Either it's a lot softer than Septima, or they let it breathe enough. I was disappointed that under all that dark malbec juice was a sort of a funk. Not great.

I've had good pinots. I was afraid that I was becoming a pinot junkie after having a few from the Russian River Valley (Kenwood, Orogony). As it turns out, it seems that I only like the pinots from the Russian River Valley (plus Louis Jadot Bourgogne pinot, but I think I'd like to give that one another go around to be sure). My usual fear is that pinot comes across a lot like a watered-down merlot. Even Robert Mondavi's Carneros wasn't that great. Now I need to try a Carneros Chard.

It Gets Muddied and Indistinguishable

2006-02-21T17:33:00.000-08:00

I had a lot of wines today. Let me give you the list:

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Wines I had today at NWS:

Latour "Ardeche" Chardonnay

Merryvale Starmont Chardonnay

Estancia Chardonnay

Simi Chardonnay

Clos Du Bois "Calcaire" Chardonnay

Columbia Gewurztraminer

Sutter Home Chenin Blanc

Robert Mondavi Moscato d'Oro

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Wines I had today at Spezia, with Sterling:

* Jewell Viognier

Rosemblum Vintner's Cuvee Blanc

St. Suprey White Meritage

St. Suprey Red Meritage

Sequoia Grove Chardonnay

Sagelands Merlot

* Orogeny Pinot Noir

Sanford Chardonnay

Querceto Chianti Classico

Madrigal Petite Syrah

* St. Hallett "Faith" Shiraz

Provenance Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon

Moon Mountain Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon

* Artesa Napa/Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon

Chapoutier Rhone Red

Baroni Fini Pinot Grigio

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I've had a few lately, too.

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Wines I had a week ago at NWS:

Schlumberger Pinot Blanc

Domaine Triennes Viognier

* Ponzi Arneis

Wirra Wirra Riesling

Carl Graff Piesporter Michelsberg

P. J. Valckenberg Liebfraumilch Kabinet (or something like that)

Leonard Kreusch Piesporter Michelsberg Auslese

* P. J. Valckenberg Trockenbeeren

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Wines I had two weeks ago at NWS:

Cavit Pinot Grigio

King Estate Pinot Gris

Luna Pinot Grigio

* King Estate Vin Glace

Niebaum Coppola Sauvignon Blanc

* Brancott Sauvignon Blanc

* Robert Mondaiv Fume Blanc

Ladoucette Pouilly-Fume

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I can't tell them apart at all. At least next week, we'll start in on the reds. Hooahh.

* signifies something I thought was exceptional or caught my interest.

Le Propriétaire

2006-02-20T14:34:00.000-08:00

Le Propriétaire

France - Toad Hollow

That's right. Josh and I drank a bottle of this stuff. We drank it right before a party where the main drinks were a keg of Amber Bock, a keg of Woodchuck Cider, and a really old keg of Boulevard Wheat. And a counter full of liquor. And a mini fridge full of jello shots. And countless cases of countless kinds of cheap beers. Beers with names like "Best" and "Ice."

And you know what? I enjoyed this demi-wine more than anything else all night. It actually tasted more like apple juice than the Woodchuck. And despite all its bubbles, it actually made me burp less. I suppose I see it as the one little ray of innocence before all the dark crazy oozed in all around us.

I think I'll buy the last two bottles at the shop for myself. As a historical note, this label and this release is gone now, and has been replaced by a really terrible label in the spirit of Toad Hollow:

Yeah. That's not finding it's way into my store until I've got enough room for Mondoro and White Star first.

Sebastiani Chardonnay

2006-02-14T23:43:00.000-08:00

Sebastiani Chardonnay
Sonoma 2002

There's a lot of oak in this chard. I know that's sort of the way things are going, but to me it distracts from what the grapes are actually doing. Everything else about the wine is fine but subdued behind all the wood. I really don't know what else to say. Oak and butter.

7 Deadly

2006-02-11T21:28:00.000-08:00

Seven Deadly...Seven Deadly...

I've always wondered if this one was any good, or if it was just a marketing ploy. I mean, come on.

It's good. It's about ten dollars good, not the fifteen that it actually costs. It's full of fruit...the old standard blackberries and cassis found in zins and other juicy reds when I can't think of anything better to say about them. Frankly, it tastes just about like how a zin should, which is interesting and out of the ordinary.

Josh likes it too.

Pölka Dot Riesling

2006-02-08T12:42:00.002-08:00

Pölka Dot Riesling
Germany 2004 - Gallo

Expect the release of this German riesling sometime in the next few months. It must not be anywhere yet ... I can't find it's picture anywhere on the internet. It's a new one from Gallo; the cynic in me wants to scream foul marketing ploy (if only the dot on the bottle were red and not pink), but having never had the German Turning Leaf Jo Riesling, I don't really have the ground to make such claims.
The juice itself is standard sweet riesling. Honestly, Gallo did much better with the surprisingly dry McWilliams Aussie Riesling. Polka Dot is drinkable for sure, but offers very little other than one more quirky choice in a German section (can you say Relax?). There's not really any intensity and there's not really any complexity. My friend Josh liked it because it tastes like apple juice. He's the same guy who really digs the cafe zin.
So drink what you like, right? I'd rather not pay $10 for this, but I'd drink it up if somebody handed me a glass.
And the umlaut. What's with the umlaut?

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Edit: Here's a picture I found of this bottle. Apparently it won some design award.

The Start of a Beverage Blog

2006-02-07T16:56:00.000-08:00

This blog will be paired with my music blog. I'm not drinking anything right now, so this is really just an obligatory first log post. Thank you.