vintegrity tasting

First off...my condolences and fond memories of Lauren Chapin. She was a sweet person and will be missed.

Not much tasting will be going on the next few weeks. If I do not have it in the store by now then I probably didnt need it and I know I wont have time to put it through the system, print tags for it, etc. Vintegrity has been bringing new wines by and I have told him that there wont be any more buying from me for a while but here are the last ofthe wines tried.

Don Cristabal Chardonnay Mendoza 2008 melon and rich textures for an inexpensive wine. easy finish.

1492 Red. merlot/bonarda and sangiovese blend. easy drinking red, juicy but not a heavy tannin thing.....

La Nina Cabernet fruity but a bit on the green side.

Don Cristabal 1492 red. rustic on the palate and rough finish...not pleasant

Mayu Malbec Zonda Valley San Juan Argentina... a region that we dont see often here.. juicy and sweet almost bing cherry fruit..but needs more depth.

Kaleido de Familia Mayo Bonarda Deep red, juicy and no heavy tannin... light red fruits and interesting wine. I did bring this one in after all. $ 14.99 on the shelf.

Happy Holidays. Alan

misc wines for december

Mothers Milk Shiraz Barossa 2004 I was worried with the age that the wine would have lost some of its fruit, but it must have been a fruit bomb when it was young because there is still a lot of juicy meaty goodness. long finish and black black fruit.'

Independent Producers Chardonnay 2007 from Walla Walla area Unoaked with melon fruit aromas. dry and slightly bitter finish.

Independent Producers Merlot 2007 lots of vanilla and some rough edges. sweet fruit if a little green. I really like the new label wish I liked the wine as well.

Best wine of the week
Amavi Cabernet Sauv 2006 Walla Walla juicy, soft tannins and baking spice flavors on the mouth. uses a little syrah that gives it some body. very nice

jowler creek winery

A missouri winery Jowler Creek came in the store today and had 6 wines to try. The winery is located in Platte County and sells direct.

Norton 2007 dark purple color and fruity nose but of watermellon. spice and clove pretty on the tongue but a quick finish.

Chambourcin 2007 much the same color but more weight and flavors. pretty spice, american oak. quick finish but fun. this will be in the store

Butterfly Blush 2007 a light salman color, made from catawba grapes, a bit of CO 2 sweet but not overly so. this will be in the store.

Vignoles 2007 unique nose, almost like a pine tar..retsina aromas, sweet but missing something in the middle.

Critter Cuvee 2007 a blend and what the Vignoles was mising, it had a little more weight and interesting flavors. again not overly sweet finish. this will be in the store.

Nort 2007 a port style wine.. by law nothing made outside of Portugal can use the name port so they called it Nort since it was made from Norton grapes..
brickish purple color, caramel and fruity on the nose and palate. think of it as liquid fruitcake. This will also be in the store.

misc for the end of november

So as I thought there have not been a lot of new wines to try...or I have been exceedingly busy.There is a new distributor in town who is out showing some new things. Vintegrity and the wines are here.
Manifesto Sauv Blanc 2007 from the Suisun Valley which is in Contra Costa County. shades of pink grapefruit, long grassy finish and a cute label.

Fools Bay Mallee Sands Chardonnay 2007 banana and tropical fruits on the nose and sweet palate. good acidity but too sweet for me

Boxhead Australia 2006 a fun wine of cab and shirz. lovely iodine and bacon fat on the front, cocoa, mocha fleshy finish. a great buy. and very cute label

First Drop Wines The Red One Australia 2008 green nose, nice fruit on the palate but light and I cant tell if the green will go away or if its the result of young vines overcropped.

Beaujolais Nouveau

Two examples of Beaujolais Nouveau came today. DeBeouef and Mommessin. The latter comes in a plastic bottle with screwtop to be more eco friendly. traditions are falling left and right.

Italian wines with Chris from Mo Bev and Giampaolo Cherubin

Just what I don't need is another pinot grigio but the Terlan from Alto Adige 2007 is one of the best P. Grigio I have had in a long time.. pretty straw color, creamy texture., and no bitter aftertaste that I sometimes get from inexpensive PG.

Donna Laura Alteo Chianti 2006 fruity, strawberry nose and flavors a touch green that should go away with a few months in bottle.

Tolaini Valdisanti 2004 a super tuscan from the same region that some of the high end ones come from. definite cab nose and pencil lead...cedar, missing something in the mid palate but nice finish. as my boss said it is nice but so Italian.

Colle dei Venti Barbaresco 2005 earthy, dried fruits, soft tannins finish of dark cherry.

Cole dei Venti Barolo 2004 beautiful garnet to purple in the glass, dark fruits..acidity and finish are nice if light...good price for people wanting to try Barolo.

wine tastings and such

Here I thought that my wine tastings for the year are done for the most part and 3 distributors came in with new things.

2006 Shooting Star Zinfandel California Jed Steele's 2nd label...named shooting star because his middle name is Tecumseh which means shooting star pretty cedar on the nose, dark cherry fruit, nice and juicy.. soft finish.

MacRostie Keltie Brook Merlot 2003 aromas of pine needles , surprisingly dark color for the age.. lots of legs..light berry fruit. not tannic at all. unfortunately a touch to old.

Spier Steen 2007 South Africa melons, figs and nuts...sounds like a fruitcake...seet but not overly so. nice acidity.

Alfredo Roca Pinot Noir 2007 very light nose, chuncky clumbsy style. from southern chile...dried fruit on the nose...not my style even if it is cheap.

Chono Carmenere 2006 smelled like steak sauce on the nose, smoky flavors.. nice fruit, with black olive finish but too pricey for what it is.

Cuca Fresca Cachagua... a brazilian spirit... if tequila and rum had a baby that is what this would be. alcohol nose and a little lemon zest. these are popular now.

Slingshot Sauv Blanc 2007 Napa Valley herbal, creamy texture, nice blend between the grapefruit and grassy styles.

Slingshot Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 Napa Definite cab nose, silky tannin, juicy fruit but not overly sweet. nice astringency for clean palate... could use a little more depth but overall for the price a nice wine.

special wine tasting on Nov 13

Domaine de VIllaine Rully Les Saint Jacques Rully 2006is one of the value regions of Burgundy This chardonnay was nicely round with just a hint of caramel. Not overly sweet.

Willamette Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir Oregon2006 Showing very nicely, lots of dried fruits, soft lush tannins and dark red fruits.

Fontanafredda Barbera Briccotondo 2007 a wine from the Conny Corner, lush red fruit soft tannins and a nice finish. 90 pts from Spectator a great meatloaf wine.

Rothschild Reserve Pauillac 2005 One of the best vintages for bordeaux in some time. Nice little french stink that leads to dark fruits and a long finish.

Beringer Knight Valley Cab 2005 lots more up front fruit than the Pauillac and very easy drinking

Rudd Crossroads Cab. 2005 first time to try a Rudd this wine has the french stink to it but then heads off to the lush flavors of California Cab. Will not find it in Kansas

Segla Margaux 2005 the second wine of the second wine. The big brother to this was named the #2 wine from Wine Spectator. For half the price you can experience why, lots of juicy red fruit but not sweet. I have 3 cases in the store.

scotch

For those who think I only taste wine i did experience a great scotch today.
Glenmorange Signet a combination of 20 to 30 year old single malt scotch. initial nose of light peat and wood.. light amber in color, maple,vanilla, honey and heather on the nose and surprisingly light in heat due to the high alcohol content. made in 100% missouri oak.

Southhampton Beer new to the market. Altbeer which means old beer is a zesty, enjoyable ale that seems to be good for light apps or pretzels.

Mas Foulaquier le Rollier Pic St Loup 2005 Pic St Loup is one of the hot value regions of southern France. Dark color in the glass, juicy on the palate, a bit rough in tannins but they will smooth out with age. Cedar on the nose.

Jason Maroon wines from Major Brands

Episode by Terlato. They bought the vineyards a few years back and are making a great Bordeaux style wine. This 04 is full of tannin, and tight...cedar and tobacco on the nose. Predominate Cabernet with all the other bordeaux varietals.

Verget wines from Burgundy. These were carried by Golden Barrel until recently.
2007 Verget Macon-Village... chardonnay fruit, interesting melon and fruit nose. A little light on the palate which I found all the wines to be a little dull

2006 Verget Teroirs de Cote d'or... a pleasant wine with a little acidity and nice finish. Light body. I remember it being a littlemore mineral and not so new world

2006 Verget CHablis...where is the mineral and the aciidity.. light style and pretty boring

2006 Verget Chardonnay Vauclause light yellow light finish...nice fruit but not showing well.

Verget Au fil du Temps nv which means as time goes by lots of barnyard or fecal...juicy on the palate but hard to get past the initial nose...

2006 Verget Syrah d'endes pretty purple in the glass but light and fruit, a touch of bacon fat but not nearly enough for the wine region it comes from.

Everyday wine tasting

Starting today we have a wine system in the store that allows me to keep 5 bottles on gas for people to taste. Supposedly this will keep the wine as fresh the first pour as the last. The first group of wines feature Gallo upper end. Gascon Malbec, Martini Sonoma and Napa Cabernet, Frei Brothers Merlot and McWilliams Shiraz. All very nice and affordable wines to try.

wine of the year

Well I was a little wrong on the wine of the year. It was not a bordeaux but a Chilean Bordeaux blend called Clos Apalta from Casa Lapostolle. A very consistent wine and usual top 100 if not in the Top 10.

2008 spectator 100

So far the lineup is looking very international. The two Chateauneufs were in the store at one time. The 2007 Seghesio Zin may be back in the market, and I would love to find the Pontet-Canet from one of my distributors. it will be fun to see what the top 5 turn out to be.

Rudd is now available to me. It is a property owned by Leslie Rudd who is from Kansas, he owns the Dean & deluca franchises.

long time no see

Sorry for the delay, between the store wide tasting on the 6th, which was a hit and everyday things I have not been able to pay attention to this as I should. The posting over the next few weeks may be a little lighter too, if for no other reason than the distributors take less out to sample in the weeks between thanksgiving and christmas.

Also the wines lately have been somewhat underwhelming... but here are a few of the better ones

Telmo Rodriquez Basa Rueda a wine from spain that has been with us before but a different supplier had it. light sauv blanc flavors with some flowery aromatics. green apple on the finish. A good value that gets good press usually

Alma Rosa Chardonnay 2005 I enjoyed their pinot noir but the chardonnay leaves me flat, just like the taste. Advocate gave it 90 but i found not much to catch my attention from the nose to the finish

From JP with vintegrity a new distributor in town
Dutton Goldfield Chardonnay 2006 toasty , rich ml but very balanced with nice acidity.

Dutton Goldfield Pinot Noir 2006 mushroom and earth. pretty red fruits on the palate. good long finish

Dutton Goldfield Zin Russian River a bordeaux style zin, very smooth, juicy not briary... a little mocha and red fruit on the finish.

from Jason with Major Brands
Hanna Pinot Noir 2007 Russian River...scares me if this is what 07 is going to be like. very chunky on the palate.typical cali pinot nose cranberry and tea. maybe will be better in 6 months.

Tintara Shiraz 2005 hot nose of over ripe fruit, jammy fruit on palate. but who needs another big fruit bomb... and a few vintages old too

Kathryn Hall 2004 a new property for missouri market. this cabernet has some pedigree for its vineyard sights.. dark cassis color and nose, nice grip on the mid palate and finish is pretty long. might make it into the store.

gazzoli wine with ron d

David Noyes Sonoma Pinot Noir 2006 lots of black fruit and tannin on the back of the palate. rough that may show improvement over time

Wellington Cabernet Sonoma 2004 100% cab juicy but hot alcohol. medium bodied..more action on the back of the throat..not too interesting

Bell Claret 2005 Bordeaux blend with a hint of syrah. lots of black berry upfront fruit. cedar..a quicker finish than I expected but all in all a good wine.

Truth Lindsey's Cuvee 2006 there are times when the nose will take me somewhere i do not expect. in this case the first thought I had was when i walk into Brookside Market... fruit, flowers and hint of cleaner... mostly from the Syrah I think...soft silky tannins...a fun wine. mc esher label looking label

misc thursday wines

4 people brought by 4 different wines.
Miner Chardonnay Wild Yeast 2005 Napa made in the full bodied style of napa chard...lots of sweet aromas, pretty color of straw yellow in the glass. 100% malo and mostly new oak. so everything that some people love about napa chard.. rich and fat but still some acidity. Wild yeast makes it take on a life of its own.

Qupe Grenache 2006 Central Coast...a little green and yet some nice bright fruit. I am not a fan of young vine grenache just out of the bottle. this was no exception.

Les Clos de Paulillies 2005 Banyuls Rimage... dark almost black color, viscous and raisony. 100% grenache. reminds one of port with a little less alcohol kick... would work really well with chocolate.

Bernie brought one by and it smelled of nail polish remover and tasted very tart and uninviting.

cellar selection wines from major brands with jason maroon

les Brugueres Grenache blanc 2006 what a pretty white wine this is. aromas of milk chocolate and wild flowers. rich creamy textures.. a beautiful wine that wont sell much but they seem to have a small audience of admires...

Casajus 2003 earthy violets tobacco cedar not much fruit to it. very tight and not very inviting for the age it is.

Tikato Kios 2004 named for the greek isle that makes wine. surprising nose of a sangiovese, leather and red cherry.. bone dry and gritty...

Olvena Red Blend 2004 smells like my vets office..not a bad smell just not expecting it from the wine.. sawdust and wet hair...green on the palate from young vines or overcropping. and its old. a blend of temp, cab and something else.

fredrick wildman wines with jeff stierman

a supplier of wines from around the world
Trapiche Oak Cask Malbec rich aromas in the nose of dark berries and earth. beautiful purple color, nice finish..good value wine

Trapiche Oak Cask Cabernet 2006 it smelled of anise to me which is strange for a cab..lots of soft licorice or fennel. cedar and other wines today had the same kind of sawdust aromas.

Trapiche Varietal Malbec 2007 their entry level wine, a touch green but just from youth I think.. dark purple and nice enough finish.. supposedly the best selling malbec in the world.

Broquel Malbec 2006 15 months in new oak, dark purple also from long maceration. very lush and ripe in the mouth. with some woodsy aromas, and a hint of chocolate at the end

garco wines with gary childers of cannon distributors

Michel Schlumberger of Dry Creek in Sonoma
2006 chardonnay straw yellow color, nice ml and acid at the same time...toasty finish but just not overly interesting

Maison Rouge 2005 cute label because the chateau on the label is painted red...this is their kitchen sink wine. a bit rough and alcoholic like my uncle brad.. definitely needs food

Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 very pretty nose, dark color. great cab flavors of cassis and tobacco... lengthy finish.

2004 Deux Terres Cabernet Sauvignon meaning two terroirs or earths. more oak than the regular cab. dark cherry flavors, bone dry finish.. very very tight. made from mostly clone 6 cabernet found in california growing wild..interesting story...

Boutique wine collection with Katherine Camera

another interesting group of wines



Pares Balta Rose 2007 organic wine earthy nose with strawberry and melon fruit, light body.



Huber Gruner Veltliner Obere Steigen 2005 named for the vineyard because it is above old fortifications. sweet nose, botrytis, without being sweet tasting, very mineral and old world.

Castro Ventosa El Castro De Valtuille 2006 deep purple color, dark and lush fruits, long finish.in the corner for sure.

Sola Fred 2005 carignane, earthy, cant get past the nose, will retry .

Pares Balta Mas Elena 2004 Penedes dark purle in color, earthy aromas, mushrooms mid weight, quick finish, a bordeaux blend, very old world. interesting too

Maisons Marques and domaines with Thierry Plumettaz

interesting portfolio
Scharfenberger Brut creamy mousse, green apple finish, long name, nice price from green valley

Roederer Estate L hermitage 2000 made in the same method as Cristal but with American grapes medium
body and good texture. maybe a little overpriced for what they are going for.

Schlumberger "Les Princes Abbes" 2005 having had this over the years it was interesting that this had a little sweetness to it.. almost like gooseberry. not to be confused with a sauv blanc but more than i expected

Carpe Diem Chardonnay( Sieze the day..dead poets society) an off nose of green vegetables and B.O. , not oaky and strange

Marques Murrietta Rioja Riserva 2004 beautiful oak nose, mostly tempranillo with a cedar, earth and spice finish.

Pio Cesare Barbera D'Alba 2006 blueberry nose, nice mouthfeel.. very enjoyable wine for the money

Carpe Diem ( sieze the...you know) Cabernet 2006 made at Dominus, sweet nose with a touch of youth tight in the palate. it could use some air or age

Ramos Pinto Quinta do Bom Retiro 20 year tawny from a single estate known as good retirement. honey, nuts and caramel, sounds like a breakfast cereal. almonds and toffee....amazing mouthfeel...it keeps going and going

Bodi wines with Sean Bell

Il Follo Rose Prosecco NV as with champagne this red comes from a touch of red wine, in this case Cab, strawberry and watermellon, mocha and fruit on the finish

Chateau de la Greffiere 2007 Macon california nose from a burgundy, sweet fruit almost tropical. not what i was expecting and my first attempt at 2007

Louis Chenu Savigny Les Saucours Blanc 2006 round in the mouth a touch hot on the palate and not overly interesting

Hoopes Vineyard Cabernet 2005 new to the market from a very small producer. everything a cali cab should be. garnet color, sweet fruit on the nose, tobacco and cassis on the finish. good tannins but soft too. very limited supply.

Icon estates

Ruffino Oro 2004 Chianti Classico anise and dark walnut on the nose, sweet fruit on the finish. A long standing favorite.

Ruffino Modus 2005 a super tuscan also with a touch of anise on the nose.. juicy start with a little earthiness on the finish from the sangiovese no doubt.

Robert Mondavi Napa Cab 2005 rich dark fruit and a touch of dirt.. very consistent property

Robert Mondavi Cab Reserve 2005 full bodied, a touch of syrah added for depth? very approachable now.

Simi Landslide Cabernet Alexander Valley 2005 fruit nose, but very tight on the finish...needs to open up some from the 2 years in oak

Franciscan Magnificat named for one of Bachs pieces that had 5 movements, this has 5 grapes.. dark purple and the smell I always get when I enter a winery..oak and grapes.. very approachable with 50% merlot. a touch more alcohol but not overwhelming.

Jackson Trigg Vidal Icewine from the Niagara Penninsula in Canada. tone fruits on the nose, not overly viscous or oily, good acidity. in a 187 ml bottle to try an icewine without the prohibitive cost of a 375ml

Stylus Napa Cab 2005 the project of the winemaker, 86% cab, lots of grip and black berry fruit, nice tannin on the finish , maybe a little pricey for a new project and this economy

italian from premier cru

genesis wines

Tasted through a few of these from washington state. very solid easy drinking wines.
cabernet good grip for the price point. fruity but not overly so. best of the bunch.

syrah juicy and a little iodine which i like.

riesling nice dark yellow, a touch of mineral nice viscousity. the problem is its too dry for sweet and too sweet for the dry drinkers.

these are the upper end wines from hogue of washington.

Campos Espana with Jose Hidalgo Sanchez-Migallon

Two wines that he reps for

Gladium 2007 Tempranillo The 2006 was lush and gorgeous this one seems a little green yet...a few months in bottle will help. dark colors in the glass and green and mocha notes on the nose juicy and nice enough acidity

Gladium Temp Crianza 2006 great color in the glass teeth staining purple even.. to be crianza it has to have 2 years in the cellar. 6 months in oak and the rest in bottle. an earthy nose, bright fruit and some tannin lots of violets and flowers. I would like to try it again in another bottle to see if the nose was just the way it will be. It can not be corked because its plastic

also today Jason with Cellar Selections
2006 Girard Chardonnay Russian River big old bottle of ML aromas and big mouthfeel.some oak and roundness... not for the faint of heart chard drinker

2005 Artistry Red from Napa new name that was just Red pretty ruby color. 54% cab and then cab franc bing cherry in the nose and palate nice ripe fruit, would like a little more complex flavors but the depth was fine.

ridge vineyard with Christina Donley

Ridge Three Valley 2006 Sonoma County juicy not overly briary...dark cherry light finish..

Ridge Geyserville 2006 Sonoma more grit and character. juicy lots going on. the best wine of the flight

Ridge Lytton Springs 2006 juicy i am seeing a theme here

Ridge Zinfandel Paso Robles 2006 100% zin lush and yes juicy with a soft finish.

I think I was expecting more from these wines overall.

Big red tasting with Premier Cru

Another large tasting set to give a lot of exposure to the restaurants and retail shops in town. All reds and most looked very good.

Fisher Coach Insignia Cab 2004 very dark and tannic. could use some time to open up and show more of the fruit.

Joel Gott Mohr-Fry Zinfandel 2006 lush and juicy. great fruit and finish.

Ramsey Claret 2005 a little weak on the palate but it was hard to compete with the other big boys.

Vall Llach Embruix (embru-sh) winery from Priorat one of my favorite regions. this winery is owned by a Spanish folk singer. carignan and mourvedre

Idus 2004 my favorite of the tasting. lush romantic and sensual. will have a case in stock

Vall Llach Vall Llach old vine small berry earthy. made from mostly carignane also,

Luca 2005 Argentina big and lovely..didnt write much but have it in stock.. more shiraz oriented than Syrah.

Palladino Serralunga 2003 big as it should be with earthy notes on the front and tannin and black fruit on the back.

Derrick and Robert

Derrick brought in a Gambal Chassagne Montrachet 2006 that was pretty caramel a touch of heat, a bit blunt on the mid palate but nice finish.

Bertrand Sauv Blanc Sud de France, 2007 a creamy style with more gooseberry than grapefruit, nice long finish.

Robert had Ogier Heritages dark and brooding, i would have liked a little more fruit though.

2006 Clos de l'oratoire Chateauneuf du Pape Full bodied and juicy, hot on the palate but nice finish.

wine tasting events

Two distributors had wine tasting events this week. and tomorrow night is the big drunk fest that is Glazers Holiday Show. Lots of free booze and stuff.. woo hoo....

Pinnale introduced some new Italian wines of which I tried a few.
Several I have already in the store. but the two I tried were Vinosia Falanghina 2006 soft and not very interesting. much like a pinot grigio

However the Vinosia Fiano d'Avelino was spectacular .. in some ways it reminded me of a Torrontes but with a little more guts. This would be a perfect turkey wine.


Robert Morehouse with Pedroncelli wines out of Sonoma. All of them very drinkable and pleasant
Chardonnay 2007 Dry Creek clean and crisp. not a lot of upfront fruit but very drinkable at the price.

Rose of Zinfandel a touch of effervescence I know I spelled that wrong and a nice sweet middle. light finish

Pinot Noir 2006 Russian River.my least favorite of the bunch. cranberry and tea on the nose and a weak finish

Merlot Benchlands 2005 a surprise at how pretty the nose was, blueberry and violet. juicy and easy on the tongue. nice enough finish

Cabernet Sauvignon Three Vineyards 2006 varietally correct but not overly exciting. nice example for someone wanting to start into cabernet

Zinfandel Mother Clone 2006 from old vine zins and it is soft and silky not briary like some people like their zins to be. very soft.

My 200th post.

I usually dont follow through with good ideas...but 200 is not bad.

Wines today with derrick from bommarito.

Bucci Verdicchio 2007 Tremendous producer of this wine. mineral with a steely edge. round mouth feel and pretty stone fruits flavors. ageworthy

Case Ibidini from Sicily. pretty ruby color, almost a fruity beaujolais style nose. light finish great with pasta and pizza

Langmeil Three Gardens 2006 lovely blend of shiraz which you get in the nose, grenache in the mouth and mourvedre in the volume. year in and year out a winner.

From new wine salesman Jason Maroon
LF Edwards Carmenere Reserve 2006 minimal skin contact to keep from too much tannin, smoky nose with 10% cab for depth. a touch green from youth but nice round mouthfeel and a hint of cocoa on the finish

Merlot Reserva earthy but some nice fruit. a bit of a bite in the front not overly user friendly. a pass

John Islands Imports and Classique wines

I tried these wines a few weeks ago and lost my notes but I had ordered some and then found the notes so after tasting about 10 wines these were the wines I chose First off this is a new Import business run by a couple of young guys who have followed their passion for wine and done something about it. In this market and time where bigger guys like New Castle are going under it will be good to have new blood in the supply chain.



Domaine Galevan Paroles de Femme Cote du Rhone 2006 soft and feminine style go figure. a touch of dirt but very appealing flavors on the end



Domaine St Amant Grangeneuve Beaumes de Venise
licorice, anise and spices make this very provencial even though technically thats not. lots of foods this would go well with especially lambs and veal

Chateau de Seriege Merlot/Cabernet juicy with a lovely meaty midpalate. very well priced at around $11

Domaine Eternal ost du Roussillon Villages 2006 my favorite of the lot. smoky, dark and lots of grit.

bodi wines mixed bag

September 14 2005 Roussanne tasted before and have it in the store.. again with the green olive lush fruit that will only become more honeyed with age.

Chateau Felice 2002 Chalk Hill American Celebration a blend of cab, merlot and cab franc... i really liked it a lot then didnt then did.mild tannins a little cocoa and light oak. i think the cocoa got me.

Pichat 2004 Coe Rote Le Champon hot rustic and not showing a lot of syrah character.cute label though

Pretty Sally wines

It could have been the peppers in the corn chowder or just my being in the mood not to taste but I was a little disappointed in these wines, especially having had them in the past and found them at that time to be very enjoyable.

Pretty Sally Rose of Cabernet 2006 interesting rustycolor which was a little offputting. good acidity though and red fruits with a little cola flavor at the end

Pretty Sally 03 Cabernet oak oak and oak..tannic flavors maybe too young yet or not ever going to make it after all

04 Shiraz hot and fruity, hints of oak bing cherry not a traditional fruit bomb but too restrained for me with out showing a little bit of elegance. i feel bad because this wine has gotten some really good press so either its an off bottle or my taste buds arebeing goofy or I just dont like it.

wine with steve ewing and 585 wine partners

Bivio Pinot Grigio 2006 lush and a touch of grapefruit.creamy with some lees stirring and a cute drawing of a vespa on the front. will be a nice addition to all the pinot grigios i have steelhead sauvignon blanc..2006 bright fruit color but not much weight and not very interesting.........picket fence pinot noir 2006 soft and easy with cinnamon and spice may not be the most complex but a good intro for people into the grape..........steelhead zinfandel 2006 dry creek a region known for big hot jammy wines this one does not deliver on any ..deep red color, soft and more of a claret in style.......organic red truck petite sirah 2006 dark color but soft again for what petite sirah can be..no heavy fruit tannin to speak of ,again it could be a good wine for someone wanting to discover a likeable petite sirah

wines from cellarmasters

Went to a Cellarmasters tasting the other night and had some very good Chilean offerings. when I find notes will write more. The one thing I was disappointed in was the Montes Purple Angel..wasnt showing well that night. The big surprise was the Casa Concha Marques Cabernet that was luscious and big for the money a very good wine.

monday wine

today the only wine was a revisit.. 2005 Cotes du Rhone by Cellair de Dauphin... pretty dark yellow and all the unctious green olive fruit that these come to show...the fruit usually shows up more after several years of aging.

australian wines

a lot of blow the horn big reds from Premier Cru
Yalumba MGS full bodied and rich...cocoa and tar

Euphonium by Henschke 2004 Barossa Bordeaux with Syrah in the mix.. cola nose...dry dry tannins and a hot finish..alcohol

Cyril Henschke 2003 Eden Valley Big dark tannic...will it ever show more fruit?

The Memzies 2004 Cabernet from Yalumba lots of dark purple color and sediment. which can be a good thing. Named for one of the early Australian Prime Ministers.

Yalumba Signature 2003 pretty ruby color beautiful sandalwood and cinnamon... a little more feminine than the other wines

Octavis 2004 Cab lots of acidity.. drying tannins... long milky finish.. deep berry flavors...very mouthfilling and costly too..

Evergreen winery from Oregon

This winery was one of the host for Pinot Camp that I went to in June. It is located next to the aerospace museum that houses the Spruce Goose which explains the Spruce Goose on the label of some of the wines. The spruce goose being the plane the government contracted to howard hughes to build made out of wood.. pine if I remember..Pine doesnt rhyme well though.

Most of these wines are missing something, and I can not put my finger on it. Just not quite the standard that most Willamette wines have.

Riesling 2006 pink grapefruity, a little dull on the palate.

Chardonnay 2006 rustic..heavy and needs food..to cover the taste

Rose but a chardonnay red wine blend...funky color and not awful but something off in the palate

Pinot Gris 2006 some mineral notes.. rustic and harsh.

Pinot Noir dried fruits, tasted with chocolate which helped cover the wine a little...

Pinot Noir Commemorative dark fruits, nice body but for the money leaves a little to be desired.

interesting wines for wednesday

Domaines and Estates had Pacific Rim wines out.. a offshot of bonny donny who headed by randall graham is one of my heros in the wine and a wonderful wordsmith.

2006 Pacific Rim Dry Riesling minral and flint on the nose, light flavor missing some nervosity? or tension. nice intro to washington riesling though.

2006 Pacific Rim Chenin Blanc best of the bunch. pretty yellow color, mineral and honey mellon. not a sweet as california chenin but not as pretty as loire riesling.

2007 Pacific Rim Sweet Riesling soft aromas of stone and lime, soft sweetness and even though it says sweet not as overwhelming as some german and california riesling

Pacific Rim Riesling Wallula Vineyard 2007 a single vineyard wine from the Horse Heaven Hills Vineyard... with pretty pineapple aromas on the nose it surprisingly didnt have a lot to give in the mouth.. dry and blunt...

more wines for monday

With allergy season upon us I find it more difficult to find the first notes of the wine because it comes from the nasal passage, so some of the wines may have been showing well I just couldnt tell.

2007 Larochette Les Morizottes White Burgundy..the first of the 07 for me to taste and not overwhelming.. a touch sweet with adequate acidity but still a soft finish

2007 St Innocent Vitea Springs Pinot Gris. 2007 just let me say that I am more found personally of Pinot Blanc as a grape varietal than gris... this example was lots of mineral a little viscousity but in general not an inspiring wine.

2005 Niepoort Vertante the winner of this bunch. again with the lacquer aromas deep red color and nice full palate...i have had this on the shelf in past vintages and run out quickly...

2006 Colombo Les Bartavelles Chateauneuf du Pape 2006 juicy from the grenache, a bit rough around the edges.. with tar and tobacco on the finish. surprisingly light though for a CDP and $35

2003 Easton Fiddletown Zinfandel Fiddletown one of the names known for great zin...this one though is a little long in the tooth and just not terribly exciting for the money...fresher easton things are available in the store.

wines for monday

4 distributors today with wine or reps to taste and Tito Vodka..tip for the day never hug someone until you are 100% sure they are a long lost friend you havent seen for 10 years

Lapostolle/Sancerre with Ginevra Altomara

Sancerre Cuvee de Connetable 2004 the age showed on this..softer palate..light flint and mineral..a little ml but a soft sancerre is like a pig with makeup why bother??

Casa Lapostolle Sauv Blanc Chile 2o07 refreshing style..not the grapefruit bomb that kiwi wines can be.. grassy

Lapostolle Chardonnay Cuvee Alexander 2006 rich ml flavor..not quite showing the fruit on the nose but the volume of the wine shows tons of character.

Casa Lapostolle Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 dark color and fruit..great value for the wine quality..soft tannins.

Lapostolle Syrah Cuvee Alexander 2005... the winner of the bunch.. a sweet lacquery aromas of red fruit..bacon fat and iodine that translates well on the tongue...rich and a finger stainer for sure

Clos Apalta 2004 made with majority of carmenere the grape of chile...the lost grape of bordeaux dark brooding in the glass and some grip on the front palate.. a rustic style that can benefit from aging. but always gets great parker and spectator ratings.. we have the 05 version in stock.

pride

pride merlot 2005 just came in and I was able to get a case this year...

sorting table with guy comerci

International range of wines.

Zind-Humbrecht Gewurztraminer Alsace 2006 very dark yellow almost the look of a sauternes
but a true nose of gewurz and bone dry on the palate...interesting wine in that i was tasting it after having tried the reds...he uses a indice or index for sweetness 1 being driest to 5 and this is a solid number one.

Maison Henri Boillot Bourgogne blanc 2006 after the super hyped 2005 this vintage is more drinkable and accessible. very clean fruit, a little flint definitely not the complex wines of last year but very good non the less

Moreau Volnay Santenot Rouge 2006 earth and mushroom..nice legs light and quick finish...

Also Conterno Il Favot Nebbiolo 2003 dark coffee color in the glass.. a touch rustic with just a little mustiness on thenose and palate..earthy mushroom was my final note but very expensive for a non barolo wine


Howell Mountain WInery Bear and Lion Zin Napa 2005 a new inexpensive bottling from this winery..watery purple in the glass and the initial nose of TAR was mouthfilling and juicy acidic but no real fruit standing out..maybe hard to sell after the initial nose...

pinnacle et al for monday

Qupe Y block Chardonnay 2007 talk about big yellow wines with lots of tropical fruit character on the nose and creamy, viscous and lush. If you like oak you will like this

Au Bon Climate 2007 Pinot Noir big color for a pinot. more extraction or masceration...syrah?? pretty nose but a little flat on the palate..could just need some time in bottle.

2006 Gregory Graham Grenache very pretty nose and very hard to sell...fruity but not overly complex or interesting...

Chateau Smith Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 from the K vintners man... pencil lead nose a wine with finesse from someone whos not known for that. mocha and cassis on the palate..quicky finish but nice.

Long Shadows Syrah 2005 a Australian winemaker but grapes from Washington fruity tight and viscous...may need a few years to start showing anything...but not attractive in its youth.


also from bommarito
Cusumano Insolia 2007 a grape indigenous to Sicily, often times blended with chardonnay and after tasting this one i see why..very rough around the edges..not very user friendly.

Quinto do Crasto Portugal 2005 made from traditional port grapes.. fruity, juicy anmd a nice finish of dark berries...young but not green

one year anniversary

it will be 1 year on the 10th that I have done this particular blog....my how time flies

Marquee Signature with JK wines

Tasted through a few wines from Australia with Keith Brian of Silver Wings who markets and sells Marquee

The first was Semillon/Chardonnay 2004 a very soft and approachable wine good minerals and round mouthfeel...was given 88 from Spectator. Will be in the Corner.

Pinot Noir from Mornington Peninsula the south eastern region that is the coolest, where the best pinot from Australia seems to originate. this 2004 was brickish and a little cloudy, looked more like a sangiovese and just didnt have any guts or finish. a very light body and good i guess for starter pinot but a little pricey for that.

Dom and Clicquot tasting

This is the first heads up that we will have two Dom Perignon and others Champagne tasting in the store in the holiday season..one around Thanksgiving and the other around Christmas

encyclopedia wines from coppola

an introduction from coppola for a new series of wines from around the world.
the look is cute but not practical for people with wine racks as the bottles are shaped much like science lab beekers with a little color around them. the idea of wines from their indigenous regions is not new nor are the wines particularly good.. but they are appealling to the young crowd that would like to try new wines and be attracted by the hip bottles

Pinot Grigio from Italy...light in color and very little of the tang or zest that is typical of P.G.

Riesling from Germany...no body, no flavor not even sweet for the riesling drinker who would buy this bottle

Tempranillo from Spain...smells of all that is green in a wine..overcropped or young vines...they definitely do not showcase the wine that you can buy in this store for a lot less and is a lot better

Cabernet from France...the best of the bunch and only because it actually tastes of Cab but just...nothing new here and again at this cost which will be around $13 you can find a lot better

bernies wines

Petalos 2006 Mencia a little earthy a touch of heat dark color... cab franc??

Domaine de Atuata Ribero 2005 100% tempranillo huge purple color...deep rich flavors of cocoa and a pretty mogan david nose... but way more expensive than that...

North Berkeley Imports with Chris Poulos

North Berkeley is a supplier that sometimes has great value wines esp from the south of france.

Destefanis Dolcetto d'alba 2006 tank fermented and just a little too green for me.. i remember when I loved dolcetto and I think why is they are good starter wines for piedmont area

Laila Verdicchio 2006 lush, fruity, citrus and pears...nice

Mattes Sabran Le Viala 2004 Corbiere dark and cloudy.. strong and brooding and not in a good way.

Clearwater Creek Cab Sonoma 2006 fruity, tannins and unusual nose though

Margelleau Vouvray Brut 2005 dry chenin, tough finish, almost like a prosecco...and i dont like prosecco

Mesa Cab 2005 one note charlie and dont even get me started on the label, looks like a silhouette of a ice cream cone top or worse.

Mt Pleasant with Garco

Tasted these wines with robert from garco..sidenote here the augusta area where mt pleasant is located is the first a.v.a. or american viticultural area granted by the government, this gives wine from that area a commonality, whether in climate, soil or quality.

most of these wines tend to be on the sweeter side but that being said they are not over the top so.

villagio made from chenin blanc, a touch rustic on the finish otherwise nice smooth and sweet no mistaking this for a vouvray but for missouri not bad

rhineland...named for the area of germany that most settlers in mid missouri came from. present company included. style of riesling, sweet apple, viscuous.a blend of the whites in some ways almost like apple juice.

harvest white.. sweet sweet nose, foxy is what i hear that describes that. tastes like grapes and grape juice.

highland red.. dark purple color and tastes like grape juice with a bite. rough and tumble...not too enjoyable on this end

harvest red light color, concord grapes juicy, sweet but surprisingly not over the top

Gustave Thrace 3rd Bottle non vintage pretty cedar nose and buttery which is interesting for a red wine. barbera, cab and zin...this is made by the gentleman featured in "Bottle Shock" the movie about california wine industry.

Le

rudy wiest part 2

interesting side note...Pinot Noir is known to have been in Germany since the 1100's where Riesling is really planted around 1400...the other is 2007 was a glorious vintage for these growers some producers got almost 200 days of hangtime which is remarkable given most get between 90 to 120. complete ripeness was achieved not just sugar ripeness

Rebholz from the Pfalz region the name means wine holder??
Pinot Blanc Spatlese Dry Estate limestone and citrus rind. certain roundness but hoping for more
Rielsing Spatlese Dry Muschelkalk petrol on the nose, juicy and minerality all at once.
Rielsing Dry Grosses Gewachs Im Sonnenschein which translates to in sunshine...good for northern vineyard sites.yellow and citrus
Riesling Dry Grosses Gewachs Kastanienbusch which is a vineyard that grows near a grove of Chestnut Trees hence the name. slate and flintstone..very minerally
2004 Pinot Noir Muschelkalk sandalwood and cinnamon

Becker from the Pfalz one of the interesting discussion with this producer was the fact that a lot of their grapes come from France..here the history geek in me is noticing that the area just below their vineyards site is the Alsace which over the last 150 years has been in both french and german control...

Pinot Blanc Dry Limestone... round and citrus..one of the wines I asked to purchase
Riesling Medium Dry Laissez Faire... a term I was familiar with in history, around the end of the 19th century the government of the US took a view that what was good for business was good for the country and they would step back and let them do what they would.,..hands off is the liberal translation soapstone and nice sweet finish but not too big... they just let the natural yeast do its own thing

Pinot Noir B Estate using old wood, this wine has rich colors but a lighter style than the others in the tasting..
2005 Pinot Noir Dry Grosses Gewachs Kammerberg Huge color and big tannin for a pinot ...
2006 Pinot Noir Dry Grosses Gewachs St Paul sweet fruit aromas., almost oregon in nature but a little softer.

Furst of Franken Pinot Noir is 60% of their production
Riesling Dry "pur mineral" lime and citrus not overly exciting
Riesling Dry Groses Gewachs Burgstander Centgrafenberg pine tar resin? interesting but a little offputting
2006 Pinot Noir Dry Klingenberger Spatburgunder the word used in germany for Pinot Noir.. this winery uses a lot of used barrels to hold down the wood tannin but it still is a monster
2006 Pinot Noir Dry Centrafenberg more cranberry and warmer flavors.
2006 Pinot Noir Dry Grosses Gewachs Centgrafenberg. the best sites within Centragrafenberg,, earthy and aromatic.


Salwey from Baden predominately old vines and only Pinot varietals.. no riesling
Pinot Blanc Dry estate lovely ripe and rich..green apple, tropical fruit notes..round and gorgeous
Pinot Gris estate melon and very juicy..good acidity
Pinot Gris Dry G.G. Oberrotweiler Henkenberg.. deep is all a wrote and have no idea what that means.
Pinot Noir Dry estate Deep color and nose of earthy and fruits.. big cherry on the finish.
2006 Pinot Noir. said to be a lighter style yet really rough tannins that the old oak will help soften one day.

Schnaitmann from the Wurrtemberg area known for a more continental climate..colder and hotter...

Rose dry Evoe a battle cry of the Valkerien Women..i think.... with red wine juice for color...of Pinot Noir.. interesting color and flavors
Samtrot Dry Estate old pinot vines.. light color and tannins not so much...
Lemberger Estate dark purple, spice and pepper 2 years in barrel. cherry on the end.. another one I chose to bring in.
Pinot Noir Dry YOung Vines soft, bright fruit, easy drinking..no greeness that oft comes from young vines.
Riesling Dry G.G. Felbacher Lammier given 198 days of hangtime this was going to be a monster in sweetness but vinified dry it was full of mineral and crispness. very intense.

there were 15 other wines that were represented from winemakers in Wiest portfolio... Karthauserhof, Wegeler, Schafer-Frohlich, Robert Weil, Gunderloch, and Pfeffingen, Dr. Heger and Meyer-Nakel. but without representation and being the last of 55 wines they were good but there is so much...several of these producers are in the store already in some form/.

The last bit of info is the age of the winemakers..most represented were under the age of 40 and wanting to push boundries of expected german wines in both quality and varietal.

rudy wiest dry wine tour

Tuesday at noon 55 wines...8 winemakers or representives from the german properties and most but not all spoke adequate english. they had just come from a new york tasting the day before so I felt somewhat privileged to be attending.

these wineries represented many of the lesser known regions of germany... even though i taught geography a map on the wall would have been somewhat helpful in better appreciating the determinate climate and conditions. it was cute when Mr W had a interchange with one of the winemakers in german, i believe he was berating him but he could also have been saying pleasantries too..my german extends to a course my freshman year in college that started at 730am needless to say i didnt do well

Franz Kunstler from the Rheingau.
all the whites were from the 2007 vintage unless noted otherwise.
Riesling Dry Estate crisp and green apples
Riesling Dry Old Vines a little rounder than the first wine..and nice
riesling dry goldcap Hochheimer Kurchenstock comes from a vineyard near a chuch(kurchen) gold caps are thought to be better by the producer than typical..this had a pretty nose but not a lot of difference in fruit for the price
Riesling Estates Gewachs Hochheimer Holle , estates gewachs is a designation of grand cru or premier growing sites...much like the Premier Cru or Grand Cru in Burgundy. Holle is Hell but really means hill...i think, it was hard to understand this young lady
2006 Pinot Noir Tradition red fruit and earthy finish..

Von Buhl from the Pfalz region they seemed to have a little more fun with their wines and the naming of such.
Riesling dry, Hergottsocker beautiful nose, florals and cloves one of my favorite from the whole tasting actually.
Riesling Medium Dry Maria Schneider Jazz we carry this in the store.. named for the jazz muscian because of her nervosity and jazzy style.
Rielsing Dry Grosses Gewachs Ruppertsberger Reiterpfad limestone and ripe. reiterpfad is the horse briddle which was main transportation when the vineyard was planted
Riesling Dry Grosses Gewachs Forster Ungeheuer Big bold and not what I would call sweet..interesting. a monster white wine
2006 Pinot Noir Dry Estate light color but huge flavor almost burgundian in style and just a sample of the Pinot to come in the rest of the tasting

Wirsching estate from the Franken region. they are known for their traditional bottle shape which Mateus took for their wines.. and believe me these are no mateus wines.
Silvaner Dry Estate sweet nose but dry and minerals and lime Silvaner lesser known white varietal of germany.
Scheurebe Kabinett Dry Iphofer Kronsberg this grape is a cross of Sylvaner and Riesling. fruity on the nose and palate but dry finish.. lots of spice and reminds one of a gewurztraminer
Riesling Spatlese Dry from the Iphofer Kronsberg vineyard. lots of mineral and acidity.
Riesling Dry Grosses Gewachs Iphofer Julius Echter Berg a vineyard site named after one of the first bishops of the area. GG means the best part of the estate or vineyard site. soft nose, but good acidity
Silvaner Dry Grosses Gewachs Iphofer Julius Echter Berg Beautiful, sweet but again not sugary so...a touch bitter on the finish...this vineyard comes from a gypsum soil which gives it the character it has. which allows better drainage and minerality to appear

random monday wines and single malt

From premier cru.

Pfeffingen estate dry riesling 2006, a touch of mineral and honey, but mostly light and not very compelling..

Oberon Sauvignon Blanc 2005 soft and non herbacious...tasted after the riesling though so didnt really get its true colors.

La Planella from Montsant a very juicy, and earthy wine at the same time. real bright cherry flavor after a few minutes in the glass... this will fit into the corner for sure. 89 parker


from bommarito
Aia Oakville 2004 a cab from the miner family that is their second label. pretty cedar on the nose and lots of juicy tannin...great steak wine.

castle rock zinfandel 2006 Mendocino a little green or herbal for me..some briar may need some time to settle down...or grow up

Michel Bouzereau 2006 Bourgogne its hard to think of 2006 being as a good value after the excellent 05 vintage but this wine was very nice... bright yellow in the glass..good chardonnay fruit on the tongue without a lot of oak or ml to ruin...a touch of asparagus on the end but not a deal buster.

McCarthy Single Malt Whiskey from oregon via scotland...a sort of peaty style with more of the Iodine than I care for without the pretty smoky nose. it uses peat bogs brought in from scotland but it just misses the mark for me... a touch of mocha and orange on the finish which was nice.

southern starz wines lee folkes

a wine company that specializes in australian wine
nugan esate chard 2006 in the store..very ml and caramel and creamy tropical fruit

reillys barking mad riesling 2007 a touch petrol and not very interesting... light weight and no

nugan estate 2005 shiraz bing cherry, not used to that taste in shiraz

waterwheel memsie red 2006 great purple blend...lots of sweet fruit on the nose and palate...very nice

st mary's bells and whistles 2005 being a huge fan of the movie I wanted to like this wine...smooth, juicy and a light finish..ingrid would not be happy.

old wine with a new distributor

the winery silverado which has been around for quiter some time is now with Garco instead of Glazers. robert brought by three of their wines to try... i already had the chard and cab in the store.

Silverado Merlot 2004 juicy, medium weight not overly exciting but not bad either... dark fruits and nice finish.

Silverado Cabernet 2005 cassis on the nose, dark color in the glass...mocha, milk chocolate...black fruits, nice bottle.

Silverado Sangiovese 2005 a little brickish on the glass, natural for the grape. bright red fruit, typical for calital or as I call them italifornians. they want to be old world but they just get too ripe... nice acidity and a good food wine...not truly what sangiovese from italy would taste like.

wine with cirran

retasted some items.
next riesling 2006 by king estate...i found it dry, uninteresting and a dull finish..next indeed

picket fence chardonnay russian river 2006 nice creamy texture, with the round finish it is not overly oaked or malo'ed. nice little hint of caramel at the end.


next pinot noir 2006 pinot in a bordeaux bottle. interesting concept... definite pinot nose with a hint of green on the back. sign of youth?? nice red fruits in the bottle good acidity with a quick finish...

NxNW 2005 cab blend. from king estate.. bright color but strange nose, cassis fruit, and a quick finish...

AVV Cab Franc 2006 smoky nose a little green herbal on the finish.. dark color and juicy a touch of cola on the finish.

jk wines with klaus wittaur

I love the job because of the visitors I get...yesterday someone came in the store from Australia today they came from Austria... i guess I can travel vicariously. This supplier brings wine from just outside the well known regions of Austria, which means good quality but not the higher price...usually

Meinkling Pinot Gris.2006 crisp, tart almost sweet... a little too sweet citrus for my taste,

Meinkling Pinot Noir 2006...I had this bottling last vintage so was surprised at how light this was... no tastes of cola, mushrooms, any of the markers of pinot noir..just a light, slightly green

Meinkling Frizzante Blanc de Pinot Noir nv the best of the bunch..a pretty pink color with strawberry in the nose and that tart flavor in the mouth.. great acidity and just a pleasant wine all around.

Josef Bauer Riesling Prarrleithen.. a touch petrol like the alsace wines have.. lush and fruity, very nice. pfarrleithen means late picked.. i think

Bauer Riesling Hengstberg beautiful yellow , fruit but dry finish. these wines come from the region of Wagram, which is next door to the region of Wachau the most famous of Austrian growing.,

rainy day wines

today tried a few wines from different distributors.

Avignonesi Desiderio Merlot 2004 not being a sangiovese it had a lot of that character..this producer best known for it Vino Nobile de Montepulciano has had consistent wine from merlot.. good red fruit on the palate and some tar and smoke on the end....nice if pricey

the cruscade blend 2005 cab and other things blended from the south of france...sounds really good but just missing in the fruit dept.. dusty nose and flavors... second time trying this and still will pass

66 cotes du roussillon 2005 concrete tank fermented...deep rich color and flavors...very nice wine for the money...inexpensive cote du rhone style.

Yann Chave Croze Hermitage 2006 the poor neighbor to Hermitage it still can produce nice wines at half the cost of hermitage. dark and brooding, iodine, light mid section but nice finish...just a touch of bacon fat....

d'arenberg wines from australia

had the pleasure today of seeing ric anderson the general manager for d'arenberg from australia with his accent.

stump jump white 2006 riesling, sauv blanc, marsanne and roussanne an interesting blend to be sure..first whiff was of stony slate and petrol then became more floral or even tropical. fresh ...

hermit crab 2006 Viognier Marsanne blend. bright yellow color, not overly sweet or floral in the nose, a touch of burnt caramel on the finish. forgot to ask why they called it the hermit crab... i know they said they like to have fun with the wine once it is in the bottle.

stump jump red 2006 grenache, syrah mourvedre. pretty, dark fruit on the nose, grenache predominates in the flavor profiles, maybe finishes a touch green .

the custodian 2005 grenache...ruby color, old vines, cotton candy on the nose, but not that sweet on the finish. an example of old vine grenache that really works... and its not a fruit bomb.

d'arys original shiraz grenache blend...2005 dark purple in color, minerals., a touch of white pepper...very comforting wine.

the footbolt shiraz 2005 named for the horse that helped the family originally finance the winery back in the early 1900's. mcclaren vale..not a fruit bomb but restrained and not elegant but nice for the money. a little bing cherry on the finish....

big names from napa

Today I was visited by Duckhorn and Raymond.
Judith Britt supplier rep for duckhorn in the midwest.

The only white that duckhorn does is a Sauv Blanc 2007 , with a touch of semillon , had a touch of the herbacious quality you find in Sancerre but missing a little in the mid palate. Not overly oaked and a slight creamy quality.

2006 migration Pinot noir anderson valley... dark color for pinot, but bright red fruit, a touch hot, cola tea and fruit tannin on the tongue...not a wimpy pinot

2006 Decoy as was described to me not a set blend, can change each year, and not necessarily made every year. basically a blend of wine that didnt quite fit the bill for their napa bottlings.
as with most of these wines I detected a very fruit forward style without a lot of tannin from oak, some cedar but just a pleasant table wine.

2005 Paraduxx Napa Valley cute label of different types of ducks... mostly zin but also no set varietal mix. this had some cab in it that gave structure and comes through in the nose with a little bit of pencil box...perfect for the start of school... it has the nose of zin with briary undergrowth but more elegant..

2005 Duckhorn Napa Merlot this merlot is made from vineyards up and down the valley...a truly valley wine, dark color, rich aromas on the nose, with juiciness and some tar and tobacco on he finish

2005 Duckhorn Napa Cab the wine that they are most known for even though the duckhorns wanted to be the merlot property with st emillion as the benchmark. this is a soft cab with silky tannin and with a little merlot added in it seems a good wine to both age or drink now.

not as expensive but as long lived in napa are the raymond brothers.

2006 r collection chardonnay clean, crisp no ml...a little time in oak this is the trend i have noticed in napa chards to be more about the fruit than the oak and butter and vanilla

2005 r collection merlot it wasnt fair to try this after the duckhorn merlot but for the price point it was nice and juicy , maybe a little too hot from alcohol.

2005 r collection cabernet mocha dark cherry, tar and tannin.s

wineblow wines with chris tridle

Mostly known for Italian wines this supplier is branching out a bit to spain.

Monjardin El Cerezo Chardonnay Navarro Spain 2006 Very dark golden color, almost like a sauternes, nice texture in the mouth and very creamy..Cerezo is Cherry tree which supposedly grows in the vineyard... good thing its not stinkweed...pretty butterscotch,caramel at the finish.

Fontana Mesta Tempranillo LaMancha, Spain 2007 nice juicy cherry fruit, soft finish...but there are so many great wines at this price why this one????

Labastida Crianza rioja 2004 very tight nose..dark and brooding, not much flavor...could use some age maybe??

Bruichladdich Rocks Single Malt Islay Jim Beam owned this property and let it lapse , it was bought in 99 by a group who brought it back...originally they had 10 year but with the closing for a few years they will have a period until 2011 when they get the 10 year back. until then they will have the rocks which is ablend of single malts so why they still call it a single malt i dont know...this one is finished in grenache kegs on the south of france..makes you want to be a single malt. light smoky nose which is nice for islay because of things like Lagavullin which if you taste in the afternoon you still smell of smokehouse going to bed... this is an almost sweet definitely light with a slight iodine finish at the end...good for people who want to experiment with islay.

opus one 2005

After a long summer one of the things to look forward to is the annual presale luncheon for Opus One. This year it was at JJ's on the plaza and I have to say the filet I had was great. It was interesting listening to Gina Voci talk about Mr Mondavi and how much of a presence he was in her professional life. The mondavi's have not had control of this property for a few years but the spirit is still there.

The lunch started off with a Deutz Champagne blanc de blanc...lots of creamy mousse and toasty notes but very light and elegant. had to have 2 glasses...

Opus One 2005 a big brusing wine that will need time to decant or sit in cellar. One of the reasons it is so pricey they have little women brought in from the Dominican Republic who sort the little trays of grapes as they come in. Field hands are told not to send any bad bunches or else, and then these little women, 20 according to Stephen Molloy, sort through and pick out any bad grapes in the bunches and they are also destemmed so that there is nothing but natural grape tannin. ok part of this is true...they do sort out very meticulously Dominican or not. they also only use new french oak barrels which are over $1000 a piece..

so they have their reasons for charging as much as they do...and actually compared to things like harlan or screaming eagle or maya or....they are a bargain. this wine should be a 10 to 15 year ager.

hungarian wines from jk winesni

Istvan Flesch from his eponymous business was in town tasting through hungarian wines...looking to fulfill that niche of hungarian wines for the young drinkers who wouldnt want to drink something called bulls blood...

fist off was Torley Grand Cuvee made with chard, pinot noir and riesling. nice color of light gold, good acidity and the finish was pleasant..nice $14 alternative for sparkling wine drinkers.

Torley Fortuna a blend of muscats and a hungarian varietal irsai oliver .cotton candy that turns into caramel red apple that turns into ginger...very interesting..golden color with not over the top sweetness
a group of wines called Craftsman and each bottle has a stylized version of a craftsperson in bold colors. the idea is to help identify the wine by color since the name of the wine is most difficult to pronounce.no merlot here thins like kiralyleanyka which i didnt taste.

Craftsman Zold Veltelini 2006 this is hungarians version of gruner veltliner from austria..which is just gaining some recognition in this market...almost sauv blanc in style...clean and crisp it is a nice wine for this time of year.

Cserszegi Fuszeres a wine that is a hybrid of gewurztraminer and another hungarian varietal.
pretty nose, very refreshing but it fades just a little too fast for me.

Cabernet Franc 2004 light purple in color. smoky and a touch light in the palate... but refreshing and a nice wine for the money.

Harslevelu 2006 one of the grapes that goes into a Tokaj wine. very dark yellow a touch empty in the middle also but lush pretty finish.
I think we will have some soon and also I recommended he taste these at our next tasting which will be Nov 6th.

back after santa fe

Back after a long weekend to albuquerque/santa fe... saw two operas Billy Budd which was very good if not depressing and Adriana Mater..interesting but very deep and dark..a fun night at the theater

Today Robert with Garco came by with some wine from a Bordeaux producer who follows the adage to make a small fortune in the wine business you have to start with a big one. Billionaire Stephen Adams has bought some right bank properties

Chateau Douley 2005 Cotes de Bordeaux dark ruby color, astringent mouthfeel...and ends very dry.not a forgiving wine,

La garosse Premier cotes de bordeaux 2005 dark color, mocha nose, dark berry and a nice dry finish.

les comte lagarosse 2005 Pretty blueberry on the nose, very juicy and approachable with some heat on the tongue.and a dirty and long finish,

roc de candale St emilion dark color and coffee and mocha flavors.interesting

fleur de fonplegade 2005 the winner of the bunch. merlot and cab blend. bright fruit, tobacco and black fruit on the finish. lush tannins. i ordered a case

Michel-Schlumberger Merlot from Dry Creek 2004 this was owned by the alsace family Schlumberger..who use the french pronounciation of ber-shay a touch corked but still holding up..not a green vegetable in the bunch. smoky and savage?? meaty

Via Pacifica with Blake Kramer

This supplier brought in by Pinnacle wines

Lake Chalice Sauvignon Blanc New Zealand 2006 very unctious... typical cat pee nose and grapefruit flavors funny it affected the roof of my mouth more than tastebuds..astringent

Bird Sauv blanc new zealand 2007 the winemaker from thornbury makes this...not as gooseberry but still very tart.

Huia Sauv Blanc 2007 New Zealand lively clean flavors..a touch herbacious but not overly so...and light on the cat pee..gooseberry soft...very nice indeed,,

interesting to try three sauv blanc from new zealand..and all three were just slightly different

The two reds I wasnt that impressed with.

Alpha Domus Navigator 2003 is their bordeaux blend..mostly merlot.. tight nose, and i cant tell if it needs more time or just never going to open up being an 03

Olssen jackson barry pinot noir 2004 earthy cranberry tea light and soft and not very interesting

Odisea from california

A small winery from mostly the Lodi region of california.
adam webb owner... fun wines that are not that expensive but unusual enough to catch my interest.

Veritable Quandry white 2007 a blend of marsanne roussanne albarino and viognier...dusky yellow color, neutral nose but some hints of olive...heavy in the glass and on the tongue...creamy thanks to the blend...still shows a little acidity...will be around $18

Veritable Quandry Red 2006 a blend of spanish and rhone grape varietals grown in california.. lots of grenache on the tongue juicy, tobacco and tar and roses?? very pretty nose. a touch hot..nice and ripe..which is good for grenache.

Devils share 2006 a touch corked sorry.

Odisea Muse Rose 2007 mostly grenache...rust colored but not taste...sweet nose from a little viognier... dry if slightly bitter but finishes juicy and unctious...seems to be a style for this winery.

Odisea Temporary Insanity 2006..mostly tempranillo....which explains the label...tempranillo from california??dark purple in color.. cedary pretty nose that reminded me of the aromas from the tempranillo yesterday with Murrietta...very ribera del duero in style..deep and rich...intense dark fruit, chocolate and mocha... very nice..around $28 i bought or asked for a case...wine of the day for me

Odisea The Wanderer Napa 2006 heavy brooding color thats not reflected in the nose...some bacon fat which i adore in syrah... but not on the palate... i think i was expecting it to deliver more from the nose it gave. the Insanity was much more interesting and drinkable.

May be a while before these come in the store..not yet approved in the state..

Angele Rhone White blend...similiar to the quandry but with grenache blanc instead of viognier...another pretty heavy yellow, sweet nose, lots of sweet aromas and flavors but finishing dry...a hint of petrol,, very rich unctious with lots of texture...fun wine..around $20

maisons marques & domaines thierry plumettaz

Some interesting sparkling and still wine from glazer and this supplier

Roederer Estate Anderson valley nv made without using pinot meunier.. an earthy pungent nose, green apples and a little toast... nice long finish but it was my first wine of the day. prett

roederer estate brut premier nv or baby cristal...chard/pinot noir/pinot meunier blend. yeasty nose that follows to the toasty finish. lemon and citrus

domaine ott domanier rose 2007 the second label for domaine ott...this rose is one of the best in the world..at least according to the wine spectator.. from the south of france...earthy nose...french strawberries?? oui...

delas cotes du rhone espirit 2006 pretty lavender and pepper nose. juicy and a little earthy in the finish... would like to have seen a little more of the pepper on the palate but it wasnt green at all like some cotes tend to.

marques de murrietta 2004 tinto reserva this wine has been out of the market for 3 years for contractual reasons. pretty cedar nose which is not typical for rioja coffee color..22 months in oak...juicy..definite new world style

murrietta Castillo Y gay Gran Reserva Especial as they were sure to point out to me it is pronounced guy not gay...a quick finish not a lot of fruit and heavy...not very gay at all

marques de murrietta 2004 Dalmau Tinto Reserva named for the owner of Murrietta... this is only the 3rd or so release of this wine.Tempranillo, cabernet and graziano. all french oak..beautiful cab nose.. rich deep color... and the cab to me was the outstanding feature of this blend... this is probably one of the finest wines I have tried since I had a chance to try the ZD Abacus a year back...not as expensive as that but at $170 it would be close

german wines from garco with robert noecker

hans lang Sabrina semi dry Rheingau 2007 pretty aromas and stone fruit in flavors. a dryish finish if a quick one.... sabrina is the winemakers wifes name...

hans lang riesling kabinet troken. 2006.. so early picked and finished dry... and dry is right..green apple crispness..dusty finish with lime notes.

barth ( pronounced bart) 2007 Allure Rheingau semi dry, nice juicyness, light acidity and body.
barth wines use the glass cork that up until now I had only seen from some Italian wines.

barth riesling semi dry 2007 semi dry...minerality on the nose, a touch spritz on the tongue...

barth charta riesling..05 rheingau golden yellow beginnings of a petrol nose, pink grapefruit on the palate...my favorite so far...charta is a group of winemakers from the area who have agreed to certain conditions and pier tastings to approve the label use. much like the consortium in Chianti that uses the black rooster.

Johann Maximilian Riesling Fry 2005 light straw colored ..astringent and is that ham?? maybe the glaze, but some weight to it..interesting wine...liked very much.

Blees (pronounced Blaze) Ferber( loved show boat) Riesling Feinherb (taking the place of halbtrocken, means Good Herb) soft flowers on the nose, lemonzest and apples on the palate, very mouthwatering.

Blees Ferber Riesling Trocken Spatlese 2006 light yeloow sweet nose and sweet aromas, a bit of honey and apricot... similar to the beginnings of a sauterne.

Ferber Riesling Spatlese 06 a hint of early petrol, spice, viscous and peaches...long finish

Ferber Riesling Auslese 2006 in a 500ml bottle...again with the sweet flowery nose.. lots of viscosity, stone fruit and mineral...some light petrol...mouth filling and soft...

JK WINES WITH HOYT OGILVIE

jk wines are mostly italian in nature but they do have some other things

Baracchi Trebbiano 2006 a straw gold color, nice legs, very round in the mouth with long finish. some minerality but not overly noticed. from sitting on the lees it picks up the round flavors. my problem is trebbiano a grape not known for exciting wines to come in around $30 will try it though..

Basracchi Merlot 2006 nice color but unfortunately the bottle was just a touch corked, as in just the slightest part of the corked continuim.

Dominque Pabiot Pouilly Fume 2007 sauv blanc from loire...very nice. bright color, lovely acidity with herbacious in a good way through out.

Bassetti Vineyards Syrah Paso Robles 2004 fruity nose with just a touch of green on the back...juicy on the palate with lots of black fruit. fun wine but cheesy label. very california in style.

wine with derrick

not that i havent tasted wine in the last week but my laptop is in new york and i am not....i did attend a austrian/german/italian tasting last week for Pinnacle wines and tried some interesting things, looking for those notes.

From Bommarito Derrick with Elyse interesting wines.
Couzins 2006 Napa Zin... hot, chunky, overblown with tons of fruit...lots of cedar...this would be okay with bbq...maybe too much alcohol for me...

Petite Sirah...a big inky wine, with lot of intense flavor and alcohol...these may be needing cooler climate to enjoy.

interesting wines with derrick

3 fun wines tried today.
Trenel Macon Village Blanc 2006 not as hot as vintage, more of the steely mineral slate that burgundy is known for. a relatively quick finish but very refreshing..

Stony Hill Chardonnay 2005 an oddity in Napa a chardonnay that is meant to age..this wine is just a baby... straw color and an earthy nose as close to burgundy as you can find from napa...this is a cult wine for a lot of the winemakers in california...there old vine chard on high land..lots of use of oak BUT it is not new...the wine is fermented and aged in oak barrels that are ancient. such a long luxurious finish... not cheap but definitely worth it.

Genot Boulanger Mercurey 2006 from the Cote Chalonnaise one of the value regions of burgundy. this pinot noir was nothing like I had at summer camp..earthy and mushrooms witha purple opaque color..some red cherry fruit mostly soft and supple. we are still in the 2005 right now..

Steve Ewing of Spirivin and Ciaran

Bivio Pinot Grigio 2006 light lemongrass and actually a nice Pinot Grigio.. but what makes it stand out among all the others when they all run the gamit from a to b.

Tamas Pinot Grigio Monterey...a value Pinot Grigio that has a cute label and a nice wine. tamas is making only cal-italians or as I like to call them italiafornias. This will sell for about $9

Wente Sauvignon Blanc Louis Mel 2007...very smoky and herbal..nice body too. Louis Mel was one of the founders of Wente back in the day.

Wente Chardonnay Morning Bay 2007 the amount of wente clone chardonnay is 7 out of 10. so with that pedigree you expect a great chard..and for the money this is. lots going on in the mid palate and a clean finish with a touch of tropical fruit but nothing overwhelming

Picket Fence Chardonnay Russian River 2007 i really liked this with a soft silky mouthfeel and just enough ml and oak to season but not overwhelm..and a Russian River wine at this price point is impressive...

I didnt get to the last two wines because of working at the counter...sorry steve,

Stephanie knight of Jaclson Wine Estates

One of the recent phenoms lately is the purchase by larger wineries of boutique estates to make their more popular brands look more impressive...such is the case of Kendall Jackson which has bought a Arrowood and Byron recently.

Yangarra Chardonnay..2006 lots of herbs on the nose and palate..no oak but still a little bitter on the finish and just a little to vegetal or bell pepper for my taste.

Arrowood Chardonnay 2oo5 a touch green on the nose also with some creaminess and a little caramel at the end.

Byron Pinot Noir 2006 good fruit, almost jammy. definite new world style with fruit leading the way...some cola and tea. not a subtle wine...10 months on french barrels

Arrowood Merlot Sonoma 100% merlot...2004 it is truly a lovely merlot..lots of enjoyable aromas and flavors of red fruits.. a touch of cedar..good tannin and grip.

Arrowood Cabernet 2004 Sonoma this monster needs time to open up and settle down...lots of what i call grip or upfront tannin from the grape. tar and dark fruits on the palate and finish. very intense

IO Syrah 2005 Central Coast area. coffee and juicy but not overly exciting for the cost. another wine that would not be confused for old world. IO is the goddess of....night? eos is dawn...

All of these wines have suffered in this market in the last few years because of their change in representation. Most ofthese products were originally bought by the Mondavi family when they were looking to expand, then when they imploded they got lost in a jungle of distributors. Maybe they will find a permanent home in KJ family

the winesmith with Clark Smith

An interesting group of wines, the winesmith and pennyfarthing and skinflint. these wines are meant to be consumed quickly and with a nice dose of humor.

Pennyfarthing Sauv Blanc 2007 herbal, lime and heavy on the tongue..definite california style.

Skinflint Rose 2006 cab and cab franc..strawberry on the nose but dry finish.and good viscousity.

PennyFarthing Cab Sav 2005 Dark color and 100% cabernet german cake.. with a cedar nose..good user friendly wine.

Second Fiddle 2005 Santa Rita Hills...unfortunately a touch corked... but even with that it was huge on the palate..very aggresive tannin...could use some time...and a new bottle.

I have to give props to this guy because he tries to get away from grocery store wines and keeps them at a certain price that makes them attractive.. he has one of the few Albarino from California very cool

wine with derrick coffelt and bommarito

Lily Chardonnay 2006 Northern California bright yellow color, good acidity and nice viscosity. This wine seems to be the best newcomer as far as sales go.

Lily Pinot Noir 2006 Sonoma this wine is pretty with bright cherry fruit. nice length on the finish with sweet mocha notes.

Alamos Cabernet 2007 bright newish label that stands out more. ripe fruit of cassis and pleasant finish.

Big Tattoo Red 2005 a nice wine usually from chile. this however had some carbonation or somesuch that made it taste very funky... will try another sometime. I like this wine because of their commitment to breast cancer research.

Catena Malbec 2006 Argentina aromas of moch, dark fruitson the nose but lush cherry on the palate. nice roundness and great quality.

forgotten wines from last week

I found this sheet today from Sean Bell of Bodi. wines we tried but I didnt write down.

Lazy Creek Pinot Noir 2006 mostly 06 vintage but not all so. lighter style especially compared to all the Pinot I had last month. There is some nice woodsy character with mushrooms and light red fruits.

Mas Foulaquier Pic St Loup 2005 a blend of Grenache and Syrah from the new hot region of French wine. violet in the glass and taste. a little iodine on the finish which is typical of the blend.

Chateau de la Bonneliere 2006 Chinon I really enjoyed the 05 version of this wine which got some great press. The 2006 is still a little green in the bottle with some herbal aromas and flavors...a sign of a cooler vintage. Definite french stink on the nose with some aggressive green tea tannin on the front and softens to a pretty finish. Cabernet Franc is the grape type.

tongue twister rose

Bernie from Premier Cru brought Chateau de Trinquevedel Rose Tavel by the other day. Dry rose with dark salmon almost raspberry color but more earth on the nose than fruit. A soft strawberry lime flavor. a nice addition to the rose section

Wines with Robert of Garco

Today we tasted through some wines from a new importer..mostly spanish.



German Gilabert Cava nv bone dry..lots of acidity and not a lot of the burnt aspirin that comes from the usual cava. fun label too



Vevi Rueda Spain 2007 grassy and melon and big for a light summer white. willbe in the corner when it comes in.



Masia d Bielsa Rose 2007 old vine garanche tank fermented...dark red rose...with dark flavors..long lush finish for rose.

Bielsa Garnacha 2007 nose a little tinny which can come from youth or the tank fermentation this wine tastes of gamay lots of pepper but no flavor really predominates or stays around for a long time.

Albiker Rioja 2007 90pt parker...another of the tank fermented...purple color.. new world aromas in an old world wine.

Kirios de Aprada 2005 Ribero Duero black fruit on the nose and palate..very rustic...oldworld style. lots of tannin and a hard harsh finish. I usually like Ribero and this one didnt do it for me.'

Pasamonte Garnache 2005 from Valencia.. lovely rose nose...a little baconfat.. intense and full flavors...very nice

Raices de Aza Ribero del Duero 2004 highly extracted pretty flowery nose. very tight and can use some ageing but I think it has potential.

Mas Negre Priorat 2005 spanish stink.. lots of grip and acidity...long finish of dark fruits and walknut... great wine region and shows has agibility.

La Mia(the mask) Jumilla Monastrell 2005 more coffee on the nose with soy and salt on the palate... a touch of bing cherry at the end with more earth...very interesting.

Carasol Serrano 2006 cab/monastrell/carignane garnet color..opaque soft but acidity..not sure if I like this one.

Essencia de Monte organic monastrell lots of blackberry and some tar.. needs time very tight.

Peigue Tinto Mencia or cab franc. purple in the glass...slate and rocks on the nose...cinnamon and lavender on the palate.. quick finish though... interesting.

Wine with craig of pinnacle

Today was the first day back with several of the reps and new wine. For the complete update on my trip to oregon I will post here the article I do for the Tastebud magazine. Just what I didnt need was another Pinot Grigio from Italy but craig brought in the 2006 Borgo M with beautiful acidity, a picquant touch of grapefruit.

2007 Triebaumer Blaufrankish Rose soft and lush and nice enough acidity to match with most foods. Not as sweet as last year but thats alright.

2006 Solitude Cote du Rhone..dark color in the glass but I think a little green on the palate from youth...or too much grenache.


2004 Elderton Friends Cabernet Sauvignon Barossa Australia nose of a syrah or Iodinie...lots of black fruit, a small bite on the end but not too annoying. around $18

day 2 of pinot camp

I think it is interesting that the wine that made the biggest impression on me at pinot camp was not pinot noir but pinot blanc,a white mutation of pinot noir.. from bethel heights a beautiful, rounded aromatic but not sweet wine knocked my socks off last night at the pre tasting event at domaine serene which was beautiful too, and luckily today at Oregon cool whites we tasted it again blind and luckily I was able to pick it out from a flight of 6 .

Day One of Pinot Camp

Interestingly enough the most exciting part of my day so far has been about aviation. We had breakfast in the museum that houses the Spruce Goose of Howard Hughes fame....its huge... and gray. located in the city of McMinnville where I am staying.

Our first seminar was a basic history of Oregon winemaking and what makes Oregon special for Pinot Noir.

Second Seminar was a vintage tasting with 5 wineries in particular...at least what theylook for in wine..fruit..is it bright or jammy tannin...light or heavy..acidity..tart or not and balance... then we tasted through wines of vintage annd looked at forward vs ageable..acidity or lush...
the wineries represented at the panel were Raptor Ridge, Eyrie, Archery Summit, Panther Creek and Elk Cove. All represented in missouri except for Raptor.

The afternoon seminar was a walking and tasting seminar at Domaine Drouhin Oregon on the Dundee Hills...they had carved out a 6 foot crater to show the depth of soil and where it came from.

They also explained sustainablity practices of cover crops, canopy maintenance and soil maintenance.

The wines tried here were from Drouhin, Erath and Lange..All which are represented in Missouri.

So far the information has been general and not to specific. I think I can tell I am getting older by the crowd of people (none of whom I know) I seem to gravitate toward. There are several 20 somethings who I envy in a way because I would have loved to have their passion when I was that age, but a lot of them are just asking questions that they know the answer of or making statements so they can appear to be smart or intelligent. My mother always said be silent and thought a fool instead of speaking and removing all doubt.

Dinner tonite at DOmaine Serene, one of the more pricey wineries. 25 wineries will be represented tonight

no new applebys here

i am sure of that.

Ciaran Malloy and Bogle Wines

Tasted through the lineup of Bogle wines today with the rep from bogle and the distributor rep. these wines have always been consistent and great value wines, maybe nothing exceptional but nothing awful either...
Bogle Sauv Blanc 06 a pink grapefruit style...trying to be new zealand...another example of the mondovino effect...sweet.

Bogle chardonnay sweet and a touch oaky..wall street journal always rates this as a top wine for the value and cost

Bogle PinotNoir 06 russian river ...light color...some cranberry...nice glass for the money..

Bogle Merlot..its merlot what more can yousay

Bogle Cabernet ..nice bottling for juice..some of the fruit actually comes from Napa and Sonoma...not very tannic but a little hot on the palate...alcohol.

Bogle Old Vine Zin ...not terribly impressed today...juicy, bordeaux style zin but nothing overly exciting.. a little chewy but for old vin a little disappointing.

Bogle Petite Syrah..dark color...juicy..interesting for people wanting to try a petite because of the price...usually a teeth stainer.

Marc Shoemaker of Glazer

Usually the big companies do not have much to taste as they are all about hitting the numbers that the big guns put to them

Stellina di Notte Pinot Grigio 2006 light minerla nothing original or interesting..definitely NOT fierce

Acacia 2006 Chardonnay Carneros fruity nose, creamy , some butter on the palate, lemon curd?? long finish with a toasty end.

111 Century Sryah North Coast 2005 some red fruit, uninspired and oring..a bit rustic..with some bing cherry and then nothing..a little spice on the end but....

Derrick Coffelt of Bommarito
2006 Olivet Lane Chardonnay lots of mineral and dry..dry dry...for those people looking for the anti california chardonnay

Figge Syrah 2005 Arroyo Seco from the Central Coast. dark inky color, iodine on the nose and very tight in flavors...may need some time to open up more...

last tastings before the trip

several wines yesterday...most had been tasted before in different vintages.

Craig Rohner of Pinnacle had a few interesting wines
Twin Vines Vinho Verde 2007 I like this wine because it does vintage date..usually vinho verde is a blend of recent vintages. light easy sipping wine this has a tang flavor, oranges and astronauts love it

Schmitges Halbrtroken (half dry) Riesling 2007 dry and oranges...no zip or zang to it but nice everyday riesling

St Innocent Shea Vineyards Pinot 2006 beautiful nose with mocha and lots of layers of flavors that keeps evolving.

TirNa Nog Old Vine Grenache Australia 2006 Aussie stink on the nose with a touch of salt? interesting maybe caused by the drought? very tight.

Long Shadows Pirouette 2005 a bordeaux style wine with a touch of syrah...lots of fruit, with a nice balance of tannin and juicy red fruit.. made with Philip Melka and Allen Shoup of St Michelle fame

musar wines with madeline

Musar a winery from Lebanon...strange in a good way.

Cuvee Blanc 2003 Obaideh grape from old vines...dark yellow, dull green olive flavors..but I know in 10 years I will love this wine....just dont know if I can wait that long.

Rose from Cinsault...dark rose color...lots of depth and rose and rich flavors...very lush

Cuvee Rouge 2003 a touch of stewed tomatoe in the nose...will show another bottle

Curatolo nero d'avola and Syrah 2005 dark ruby in color..juicy finish with bit of saddleleather on the finish..I seem to like nero as a grape...the wine is good for food or just by itself.

Darioush winery

This winery is one of the group of wines that came around in the 90's when Napa was at its rise...made by a gentleman who from Tehran established some grocery stores and got into wine.

Chardonnay 2006 lots of alcohol...oaky not overly malo but definitely California chard....

Merlot 2005 rich aromas on the nose and a rich looking bottle too...still hot...the wines may have been better served by being a touch cooler.

Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 tannin..heat ..cassis big wine for those looking for the ultimate Napa cab.

Caravan 2005 their second label..softer and more approachable than its big brother...juicy with good acidity... needed a steak to compliment it though..lol

Black Oak wines

A value winery Black Oak is a winery with hit or miss wines..mostly just off the mark but good for the money.

Brut Cuvee NV a chardonnay sparkling wine with a nice roundness that finishes just a little on the bitter side.

Black Oak Sauv Blanc 2005 light, clean, uneventful. gone faster than a horse on a mission

1221 2006 December 21 was the birthday of the founder and that is why the upper end wines have that as their moniker. viognier and chard with the nose being all viognier...a touch sweet and almost interesting

B.O zin 2004 brickish color and some briar on the nose...a little juicy but quick finish.

BO Cabernet 2006 tart bing cherry or cough syrup flavored ...

1221 Cab Cuvee 2004 very pretty garnet color, nice light tannins and juicy..the winner of this little experience

derrick and bernie

Derrick brought two wines.

Elyse Rose 2007 a light salmon color..mostly Pinot Noir but also other rhone style varietals... good light fruit flavors and a quick finish..be bold, set a trend, drink the pink.....

Figge 2005 Pinot Noir from Santa Lucia Highlands... a KC native the name is like the pudding...and I actually got some dried fig nose...dark candied fruit, nice finish... a friend of ridge watson of Joullian.


Bernie brought by two wines from Larkmead

Larkmead Firebelle 2005 a bordeaux blend, right bank with more merlot... I was surprised how chunky it tasted but I may still be suffering from the pineapple wines..dark brooding color in the glass...i think it just needs time to settle own..

Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 pretty smoke, leather on the nose...full bodied with nice long flavors of dark cherry and tobacco.

Pineapple wine with Sean

I wonder how these wine guys feel when they are directed to bring around wines, and I use that term loosely here, that are such really just gimmicks.

Tedeschi Maui Blanc Non Vintage..I assume pinepples do not have a vintage season...this was actually not horrible..sweet but a little caramel on the finish.

Maui Splash NV with Passion Fruit.. this one was horrible...strange aromas and artificial flavors and sweet sweet sweet...my teeth still hurt...

Ledgewood Creek with Doug from Golden barrell

a new winery for this market...they seem to be from the Solano/Contra Costa region...there gimmick is a picnic wine called

PicniQue Sauvignon Blanc 2006 straight pink grapefruit juice...not much else going on

ledgewood Sauv Blanc 2005 a little more of the herbal california style...nice mouthfeel..

PicniQue Chardonnay 2006 a touch on the sweeter side.. a little rough on the upper palate from the high alcohol...a little rough

Ledgewood chardonnay 3 Clones 2006 a touch of ml, some roundness finishes hot also.. uninteresting.

Ledgewood Creek Cabernet 2005 from napa...ruby cloudy in color.nice fruit aromas but rough and green on the finish..

monday wines

After a nice day o ff going to Arrow rock I had four wine reps come in today with wine to try..here is a breakdown of those...nothing to exciting.

Craig from Pinnacle 2006 Batterieberg Detonation Riesling halbtrocken...so half dry not as sweet but pretty uninteresting..non offensive just no zip

2006 Au Bon Climat Pinot Gris/Pinot Blanc
Pinot Blanc gives it a little more mouthfeel...like almonds and oranges on the palate... nice viscousity... good wine for food

2006 Pisoni Chardonnay moderate creamy notes...malolactic and a little pineapple which will be a recurring theme in todays tasting.
Mas de la Dame Cuvee Gournande 2005 gourmande is someone who eats a lot??? so this wine is made for food?? tried this in the past few months and definitely liked it better the second time around..coffee from the syrah and red berries from the grenache.. in the store.

Elderton Cabernet 2007 Australia 93pts from parker so you know its going to have a lot going on in terms of big bold flavors...but at the same time I was impressed with its finesse finish.

Starlite Vineyards Zinfandel. 2005 didnt try it because its made with the cooperation of Merry Edwards who sells all here own label to restaurants only...she can do the same with this one.

politics...dont you love it.

seasmoke is here

My tiny allocation of seasmoke came in today.. i got 4 bottles of southing and 3 bottles of ten...and no one in missouri got any bottella...please let me know if you see some in the region but my salesman who is honest as the day is long...says none came to Missouri..

Spann wines with Sean Bell of Bodi

In town for a wine dinner Peter Spann was out introducing his wines to the Kansas City market. Spann is a small winery that uses Kunde for crushing and storage...located in one of the most beautiful areas of Sonoma between Santa Rosa and Kenwood.


Betsy's Backacker 2006 Bottle Blond... an interesting blend of Chardonnay and Semillon and Viognier...only 445 cases produced...lots of acidity and surprising amount of heat on the tongue...probably a nice patio pounder for refreshing quality.

Spann Chardonnay /Viognier blend Sonoma County 2006 mostly all of their wines are blends. I was expecting more of a Viognier nose and was surprised at how dull this wine was....not a lot of depth...

Syrah Russian River 2003 with a little bit of grenache thrown in for softness...this was a very rustic or heavy wine to me.. but heavy in a good way...would stand up to pizza and burgers well.

Mo'Zin 2005 Mo for Mourvedre not Missouri but it works...interesting caramel apple nose cinnamon, juicy but not overly exciting.

Merlot Napa Valley 2005 with 3% cab franc...coffee colored not bright red...not overly brown either...if there is such a thing it had a french stink (California stink?)nice mouthfeel but again there was a heat that was a little pronounced.

Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma 2004 cassis on the nose...softer style of red...for me this was the nicest of the bunch...very mellow. only 569 cases produced.

alpha dog wines with sean bell of bodi wines

A new supplier of french and spanish wines came in the day of the smoke...so its been a while for me to get time to write about them. they seem to be of good quality and relatively good price value...nothing as exciting as Jorge Ordonez or Eric Solomon but we will see/

Bouza Do Rei Rias Baixas 2005 soft, somewhat steely style. interesting for an older wine.

Vega del Castillo Garnacha 2005 pleasant aromas and light but there are so many really good garnacha in this price point.

Liberalia Toro Tres 2004 dark color...juicy and good acidity.. i think this was the favorite of the spanish things...toro is another name for tempranillo

Edenia Cigales 1999 Reserva...coffee colored, nice fruit flavors..also good acid...a tempranillo and cab blend.

Mitarte Rioja 2002 temp and graciano blend...lots of cedar on the nose and a light palate..not impressive at all for $30.

Sangenis 1 Vaque Monilea 2000 Garnacha and Carinena(Carignane in france) dark roasted coffee is what i wrote...usually a good thing and at $70 it should be.

Mas Sere Priorat Hillside 2002 Garnacha and Carinena very rustic...not approachable as some priorat i have had in the past...

from france
Celeste Cote du Rhone...red a touch of green on the nose but nice cherry finish..a little lighter style of CDR

Celeste White 2006 a pretty golden color, rich texture and mouthfeel...a little sweeter than i expected.

The Cruscades Blend from the Languedoc 2005 a touch corked...not showing well.

September 29 languedoc 2oo4 Syrah very fresh and light.. easy on the palate.

September 14 2005 Roussanne full bodied white with a touch of honey on the finish... lots going on with the wine.

les Plantanes de la Marquise Languedoc 2006 Chardonnay...clean but a touch hot in alcohol...unoaked


Les Mas des flauzieres 2005 cote du rhone...grit and power.. the best red of this tasting...

These wines are good food wines, not really stand alone shows...some will make it into the store...

stupid stupid stupid

Ok so now my cleaning guy knows not to clean an oil based paint covered brush with gasoline 5 feet away from a pilot light...we had some smoke damage and all the bottles of liquor, beer and wine that were not thrown away have been wiped down per the health department...seemed a bit excessive but hey, the store has never been cleaner.

we are open and ready for a busy weekend.

derrick wines from bommarito

Glen Carlou Grand Classique 2004 a meritage blend..juicy and full bodied...maple on the nose with a touch of pencil box...long finish and not overoaked.

August Briggs Chardonnay Carneros 2006 Leveroni vintage clean crisp and light oak and malolactic with a touch of heat from the alcohol.... very young for briggs will get smoother as it ages.

Kent Rasmussen Carneros pinot Noir 2006 ligher style but intense...lots of acidity and fresh but but a dry finish...great food wine.

wines with doug from golden barrel

Jackson Estate Sauv Blanc..06 more melon and fig than cat pee on the nose and much softer in the palate..very nice. i had once heard that cat pee or gooseberry was a sign of under ripe...dont know if thats true or just , pardon the expression, sour grapes.

Jackson Grey Ghost Sauv Blanc 2006 single vineyard...and total grapefruit, all it was missing was the pulp.

Jackson Chardonnay Shelter Belt 2005 bright fruit, almost tropical for a cool climate..lots of acidity..good food wine.

Chateau Bellevue Bordeaux 2005 65% merlot cab franc and cab. i have cellar nose, dont know if i meant to write cedar or that it smelled dank... but had a nice cherry finish..some tobacco...revisited this two days later and still holding up but the tannin was seeming a llittle more noticeable.


Axis 2005 meritage Oakville dark garnet with an interesting nose of popcorn....going down it stays on the mid palate and not much more...very much one note..revisited it also a few days later and it had softened a bit but not enough to make it enjoyable for me. sorry doug.