Today from derrick with bommarito
Colin Bourgogne La Combe 2005 not showing a lot of flavors..had been opened for a day but usually these wines will show minerality or some flavors..just flat
Steele Carneros Pinot Noir 2006 Typical carneros fruit..cranberry. tart. pretty enjoyable just nothing exceptional
Foris Maple Vineyards Pinot Noir Oregon 2005
Usually single vineyard wines have more flavor and depth than their more general brothers.. this wine did not...very flat. soft..uninteresting.
finally a good wine. Fattoria Lucignano 2005 not usual color for sangiovese...just a rustic italian nose...that leads to bright bing cherry fruit.. nice finish. will be in the store soon.
from Sean and Bodi wines
Domaine de Aubuisieres Vouvray Brut NV bright green apple flavors with a touch of sweetness from the chenin blanc. made in method champenoise nice touch of mineral.
Chateau Felice 2004 Chardonnay For anyone who thinks age is bad for chard this would change your perception. Nice mouth feel but not over the top ML...a touch of meyer lemon?? interesting wine
Domaine les Grands Bois Cote du RhoneVillages
Cuvee Gabrielle 2005 One of the longest names I have had to type for a while. dark purple but the flavors finish quick lots of wines from this region are much better.
Foulaquier Coteaux du Languedoc Pic Saint-Loup2005
grenache and syrah blend..touch of bing cherry on the quick finish. an up and coming region for the south of france..but this wasnt one of their better wines.
Hedges Red Mountain Three Vineyards 2004 opaque ruby predominately merlot nice grip from the cool climate merlot.. a touch of cassis thanks to the cabernet great from washington
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
odds and ends
tasted through some interesting wines from small distributors.
from bodi
Consilience Roussanne 2006 central coast thick and viscous but sweeter than i remembered. beautiful golden straw color. long pretty finish.
Consilience Pinot Noir 2005 what a big pinot this is. bright upfront fruit. definitely not a burgundy. 16.5% alcohol.but to give them their props i didnt taste that or feel the heat on the tongue...
from Garco
Spenser Roloson Viognier 2006 bright clean colors...sweet fruit but none of what i think of as the baby gewurztraminer nose...floral lichee etc. definitely a great drink and beautiful food wine.
from beer.. yes i taste beer
Barons Black Wattle which is something like a grain that only grows in Australia. the nose reminded me of burnt caramel or mole asses. caraway seed...very interesting.
Barons ESB and it was very bitter. the second taste was more palatable.herb and pepper were my two thoughts.. both from Australia. both in the store starting this week.
from bodi
Consilience Roussanne 2006 central coast thick and viscous but sweeter than i remembered. beautiful golden straw color. long pretty finish.
Consilience Pinot Noir 2005 what a big pinot this is. bright upfront fruit. definitely not a burgundy. 16.5% alcohol.but to give them their props i didnt taste that or feel the heat on the tongue...
from Garco
Spenser Roloson Viognier 2006 bright clean colors...sweet fruit but none of what i think of as the baby gewurztraminer nose...floral lichee etc. definitely a great drink and beautiful food wine.
from beer.. yes i taste beer
Barons Black Wattle which is something like a grain that only grows in Australia. the nose reminded me of burnt caramel or mole asses. caraway seed...very interesting.
Barons ESB and it was very bitter. the second taste was more palatable.herb and pepper were my two thoughts.. both from Australia. both in the store starting this week.
Wente brothers with Steve Ewing and Larry DiPietro
I took a break from moving my rose' section to the chardonnay aisle with some wine from Wente...this winery was known as Wente Brothers for many years but recently when Carolyn took over and she not being a brother went with a new direction on the wines. the other change with the label is a proprietary name for each one. Another wine they represent is Tomas which features Italian varietals.
Tamas Pinot Grigio 2006 a touch of citrus not much body....nice drinking wine but there are so many pinot grigio in this price point. i do like the label of the bottle, it represents a train ticket in italy...cute idea.
Tamas Barbera juicy, red fruit, bright colors...a nice wine but I dont know where i would find a home for this. will find one though
Wente Reliz Creek Pinot noir. clean cranberry fruit forward tea.....typical central coast fruit.
Tamas Zinfandel. 2005 everything i dont like about zin...too much briar...not enough fruit
Wente Southern Hills Cabernet my favorite of this group. true cab flavors with berry and coffee standing out the most.
Tamas Pinot Grigio 2006 a touch of citrus not much body....nice drinking wine but there are so many pinot grigio in this price point. i do like the label of the bottle, it represents a train ticket in italy...cute idea.
Tamas Barbera juicy, red fruit, bright colors...a nice wine but I dont know where i would find a home for this. will find one though
Wente Reliz Creek Pinot noir. clean cranberry fruit forward tea.....typical central coast fruit.
Tamas Zinfandel. 2005 everything i dont like about zin...too much briar...not enough fruit
Wente Southern Hills Cabernet my favorite of this group. true cab flavors with berry and coffee standing out the most.
vineyard brands with joe ancona
was able to take lunch off yesterday to go with joe to mission farms and try out the new room 39. very nice open space and friendly..of course it helps when you know people working there...hi toni. try the orchietto with beef... just the right portion size.
vineyard brands has a lot of wine from around the world and we sampled italian and australian.
Podere Il Caio Orvietto Classico Superiore 2005 light mineral and dry...i wish i liked orvietto more but they just are too light.. this is one of the classic wine regions of umbria...
Nine Stones Sydney Australia 2006 lush sweet notes on the nose but not overly sweet on the palate..actually some minerality to it...the nine stones set you in mind for the mineral but its about a welsh/celtic connection to the earth. will be in the store
Rosenere Blanc d'R 2006 a blend of sauv blanc, chard and malvasia. a little creamy, with nice citric acid flavors.
Bulletin Place Shiraz 06 a touch herbel, sippable but not very interesting. granted its not the sweet yellow tail experience but...it does have screwtops now which we like.
Altano 2005 portugal...a warres still wine that is very impressive. birght fruit, good acidity..and great with the pasta ... a wiff of mineral on the nose but fruit wins out on the palate...made mostly from touriga rouriz one of the grapes that goes into port.
Cono Sur Vision Cabernet 2005. dark color, juicy but not over the top ripe... i would never have guessed it to be south american tasting this blind. not the earthy or dirt that i think of with south america...Cono sur stands for Southern Cone...indicating the shape of the South American continent. This will be in the store soon as will their bycyle series which gets the name from their riding instrument of choice in the vineyards.. very eco friendly they are.
vineyard brands has a lot of wine from around the world and we sampled italian and australian.
Podere Il Caio Orvietto Classico Superiore 2005 light mineral and dry...i wish i liked orvietto more but they just are too light.. this is one of the classic wine regions of umbria...
Nine Stones Sydney Australia 2006 lush sweet notes on the nose but not overly sweet on the palate..actually some minerality to it...the nine stones set you in mind for the mineral but its about a welsh/celtic connection to the earth. will be in the store
Rosenere Blanc d'R 2006 a blend of sauv blanc, chard and malvasia. a little creamy, with nice citric acid flavors.
Bulletin Place Shiraz 06 a touch herbel, sippable but not very interesting. granted its not the sweet yellow tail experience but...it does have screwtops now which we like.
Altano 2005 portugal...a warres still wine that is very impressive. birght fruit, good acidity..and great with the pasta ... a wiff of mineral on the nose but fruit wins out on the palate...made mostly from touriga rouriz one of the grapes that goes into port.
Cono Sur Vision Cabernet 2005. dark color, juicy but not over the top ripe... i would never have guessed it to be south american tasting this blind. not the earthy or dirt that i think of with south america...Cono sur stands for Southern Cone...indicating the shape of the South American continent. This will be in the store soon as will their bycyle series which gets the name from their riding instrument of choice in the vineyards.. very eco friendly they are.
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Amavi Winery
With so much advertising focus being done with the likes of Beringer and Mondavi it is always interesting to me to see winery owners from small mom and pop wineries who really care about their product. earlier this week it was the Meekers of the eponymous winery. Today it is Ray Goff of Amavi from Washington state.
Another wine in their portfolio is Pepper Bridge. The main focus for both wines will be Cabernet but I have to admit my heart is in their Syrah.
Here are the wines tasted.
Amavi Semillon 2006 One of those wines that I would like to see represented more as they make a great food wine. Semillon is usually found in Bordeaux where with Sauv Blanc makes their white wine. In washington I have noticed it picks up a nice viscosity with long lasting flavors of light stone fruit and just a touch of minerality. Very nice.
Amavi Syrah 2005 dark purple...tooth staining purple.which is ok with me. coffe and mocha all the traditional flavors of northern rhone with a little more fruit forward character. yum
Amavi Cabernet 2004 which the spectator liked for 90 pts All of their wines seemed to have a silky quality, polished tannins he said. the problem is my boss as an example wants the big bold tannin that knocks out teeth...this is plum, and dark red fruits. very nice for $25
Pepper Bridge Cabernet 2003 very dark colors, soft tannins again, very good for those new to cabernet and want to snuggle up to the wine as opposed to have a wrestling match.. because of the freeze in 2004 the wine will be from the Columbia Valley appelation instead of Walla Walla
Pepper Bridge Merlot 2005 100% french oak. juicy and soft..again with the polished tannins. This has a little of that grip .that comes from colder climate wines. Not a wimpy merlot at all...about $50 on the shelf
Another wine in their portfolio is Pepper Bridge. The main focus for both wines will be Cabernet but I have to admit my heart is in their Syrah.
Here are the wines tasted.
Amavi Semillon 2006 One of those wines that I would like to see represented more as they make a great food wine. Semillon is usually found in Bordeaux where with Sauv Blanc makes their white wine. In washington I have noticed it picks up a nice viscosity with long lasting flavors of light stone fruit and just a touch of minerality. Very nice.
Amavi Syrah 2005 dark purple...tooth staining purple.which is ok with me. coffe and mocha all the traditional flavors of northern rhone with a little more fruit forward character. yum
Amavi Cabernet 2004 which the spectator liked for 90 pts All of their wines seemed to have a silky quality, polished tannins he said. the problem is my boss as an example wants the big bold tannin that knocks out teeth...this is plum, and dark red fruits. very nice for $25
Pepper Bridge Cabernet 2003 very dark colors, soft tannins again, very good for those new to cabernet and want to snuggle up to the wine as opposed to have a wrestling match.. because of the freeze in 2004 the wine will be from the Columbia Valley appelation instead of Walla Walla
Pepper Bridge Merlot 2005 100% french oak. juicy and soft..again with the polished tannins. This has a little of that grip .that comes from colder climate wines. Not a wimpy merlot at all...about $50 on the shelf
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
more hot wine
Today I got in my allocation of Paul Hobbs Cabernet, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Will be getting in some Domaine Serene Yamhill Pinot Noir shortly too..i hope.
meeker wines from california
Tasted today with the Meekers of California. it is always enjoyable to taste with people who are so into their work. these two obviously have a passion for wine and also for life. very cool people. here are some of the wines we tried. 11th rack zinfandel..my least favorite..had an earthy pungent nose of parmesian cheese...fruity..soft...rustic colors. it seems that they had a consistent theme of rich full flavors with soft tannins. my blogger seems to not be letting me use the enter key to start a new line so these will run together......A new line for them is gold leaf which i was very taken with. For $16 very good representation of the grape and again very juicy with soft tannins and some nice grip ...kind of reminded me of cool climate merlot and cab.... handprint merlot a cool looking bottle because each one is individually given an acrylic handprint by the winery owners and maker...i was smelling tobacco and again juicy fruit... the barbarian a blend of zin and barbera...a touch earthy but fruit on the end ...something like plum with silky tannin...great bbq wine..finally tutu luna a blend of gewurztraminer, moscato and chenin... very lush but a touch rustic on the finish. lots of orange peel.. was told this would make a nice martini with 1 shot of vodka and strawberrys sliced and shaken.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Hard to find wines
I have gotten my little bit of Cakebread cab and Jordan Cab for the year. I have also ordered in some Paul Hobbs pinot noir and Cabernet. Last but not least the Domaine Serene Yamhill of 2006 will be in this week. One case.
St Patrick day wines
A fine wet dreary day to try wines in. I feel sorry for the St Pats revelers in this weather.
From Craig Rohner of Pinnacle
nqn Picada white. 2007 Chard, Sauv blanc and Pinot Noir, well only 5% but I thought it would be interesting.turns out I was wrong. Everything was just a little off. flavors, colors, aromas. I tried a little Vernaccia from Italy which had the same type of nose which you expect from a soft styled wine from Italy, but the nqn I was thinking would have more depth to it... next time
Laroche Macon-Morizotte 2006 bright straw color, lemon grass flavors with a nice texture. good acidity..nice wine for $16
Mas de la Dame Cuvee Gournande 2005 a young wine completely organic. i was hoping for some more bigger....if that makes sense but it was very restrained...you will find this in the organic section of the store. also around $16
Vinum Cellars Pets Petite Sirah 2006 new label with a screw top. winner for me of this set. juicy but not heavy. coffee and plum. lots of ripe fruit.
k Boom Boom Syrah Washington 2006 Bright fruit flavors but didnt really care for the finish all that much. something of a sulfur taste..fresh fruit but not much depth...maybe too young too..
Also tasted Mark West Chardonnay nice and oaky for the money. Will be on sale for the rest of March.
Elyse Nero Misto a great blend of rhone style grapes Dark purple in the glass and fruity and rich flavors. One that will go away I am sure.
From Craig Rohner of Pinnacle
nqn Picada white. 2007 Chard, Sauv blanc and Pinot Noir, well only 5% but I thought it would be interesting.turns out I was wrong. Everything was just a little off. flavors, colors, aromas. I tried a little Vernaccia from Italy which had the same type of nose which you expect from a soft styled wine from Italy, but the nqn I was thinking would have more depth to it... next time
Laroche Macon-Morizotte 2006 bright straw color, lemon grass flavors with a nice texture. good acidity..nice wine for $16
Mas de la Dame Cuvee Gournande 2005 a young wine completely organic. i was hoping for some more bigger....if that makes sense but it was very restrained...you will find this in the organic section of the store. also around $16
Vinum Cellars Pets Petite Sirah 2006 new label with a screw top. winner for me of this set. juicy but not heavy. coffee and plum. lots of ripe fruit.
k Boom Boom Syrah Washington 2006 Bright fruit flavors but didnt really care for the finish all that much. something of a sulfur taste..fresh fruit but not much depth...maybe too young too..
Also tasted Mark West Chardonnay nice and oaky for the money. Will be on sale for the rest of March.
Elyse Nero Misto a great blend of rhone style grapes Dark purple in the glass and fruity and rich flavors. One that will go away I am sure.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Cachaca and such
Tasted a sugar cane rum from Brazil today, Leblon. Its an interesting spirit that reminds one at the same time from the nose of gin, rum and tequila. Not quite the pepper of tequila but very earthy and rustic. A perfect combination for fruit drinks. At our next wine tasting we will have this open to taste.
also tasted a new vodka from Smirnoff called White Grape. It smelled and tasted of concord grapes from missouri. Will be good for mixing into cosmos and such.
also tasted a new vodka from Smirnoff called White Grape. It smelled and tasted of concord grapes from missouri. Will be good for mixing into cosmos and such.
King Estate
When I first started with wine King Estate was the new kid on the block in Oregon with some oldtimers in Oregon not happy with them because they brought a lot of money into the game and just took off. Of course we in KC know of the King Estate people from King Radio. They took the money from the business sale and went to Oregon. Nowadays King Estate has become one of the old school wineries with all the new garage wines popping up all over northern oregon.
They have a new line called"next:" which includes the next question, the next generation, basically wine that is a little different than the estate bottling. Currently with purchased fruit but they are wanting to buy land in Columbia valley both in Oregon and Washington.
Next: Washington Riesling 2006 a light wine in color and texture. off dry so not really sweet like some can be..almost a sweet pinot gris style.
Next: Pinot Noir 2006 light flavors, a touch green on the nose and taste. medium bodied. not so bad for the price point...around $20.
King Estate Pinot Gris 2006 light bodied, nice minerality.
Domaine Pinot Gris 2006 The domaine series is their high end, single vineyard wine. Much more structure and intense.
King Estate Pinot Noir 2006 Very nice texture and flavors. soft but long finish. pretty sexy.
Domaine vin de glace Pinot Gris. 06 dark straw, luscious wine. apricots came to mind. not overly sweet at all because the pinot gris has a nice acidity. dont serve this too cold, you will lose the viscosity.
NxNW Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia 2005 King estate did make a Cab in good years in the late 80's early 90's but they were not happy with the quality of the grapes so they stopped. This fruit is sourced from the Seven Hills Vineyard and forthe money a great buy. More of a Bordeaux style Cab with lots of subtle flavors. Around $30.
They have a new line called"next:" which includes the next question, the next generation, basically wine that is a little different than the estate bottling. Currently with purchased fruit but they are wanting to buy land in Columbia valley both in Oregon and Washington.
Next: Washington Riesling 2006 a light wine in color and texture. off dry so not really sweet like some can be..almost a sweet pinot gris style.
Next: Pinot Noir 2006 light flavors, a touch green on the nose and taste. medium bodied. not so bad for the price point...around $20.
King Estate Pinot Gris 2006 light bodied, nice minerality.
Domaine Pinot Gris 2006 The domaine series is their high end, single vineyard wine. Much more structure and intense.
King Estate Pinot Noir 2006 Very nice texture and flavors. soft but long finish. pretty sexy.
Domaine vin de glace Pinot Gris. 06 dark straw, luscious wine. apricots came to mind. not overly sweet at all because the pinot gris has a nice acidity. dont serve this too cold, you will lose the viscosity.
NxNW Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia 2005 King estate did make a Cab in good years in the late 80's early 90's but they were not happy with the quality of the grapes so they stopped. This fruit is sourced from the Seven Hills Vineyard and forthe money a great buy. More of a Bordeaux style Cab with lots of subtle flavors. Around $30.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
First March posting
It has been very busy around here what with the wine tasting on the 6th. We had a very strong turnout and all went well except I lost my temper with a customer over her selfishness in wanting to have a lot of one wine when we only have 2 bottles to sample. Anyway. the new tastebud is out and it is about Sake...an up and coming section of the market.
There have been several visitors to the store. The winery owner of Cedarville, Jeff Miller of Brutacao Winery. I have tasted a lot of wine recently and feel bad about not really keeping up with whats out there..
Today I did make it to oneof the two big tastings for distributors customers. Diageo Chateau and Estates with a great portfolio of french wines. I tried the Batardiere Muscadet which was a great starting wine, unfortunately,they had over 50 more wines which I didnt have time to experience. I did try a 2003 Cheval Blanc which was all earthiness and light color which I thought was strange given the heat wave vintage. Also tasted a Chateauneuf from Doamine La Roquette 2003 that was luscious and drinkable for $35 or so will be good. I did try a Chateau de Sales 2003 Pomerol that was disappointing. I thought again that the Merlot would fuller in style..and it was all about the french stink. Sometimes that just isnt something to get into.
I missed the Cellar Selections of Major brands tasting but I get to try a lot of the product through out the year. That being said I did just bring in Pillar Box red and white. Great wines and in the Corner they will be nice additions. Alan
There have been several visitors to the store. The winery owner of Cedarville, Jeff Miller of Brutacao Winery. I have tasted a lot of wine recently and feel bad about not really keeping up with whats out there..
Today I did make it to oneof the two big tastings for distributors customers. Diageo Chateau and Estates with a great portfolio of french wines. I tried the Batardiere Muscadet which was a great starting wine, unfortunately,they had over 50 more wines which I didnt have time to experience. I did try a 2003 Cheval Blanc which was all earthiness and light color which I thought was strange given the heat wave vintage. Also tasted a Chateauneuf from Doamine La Roquette 2003 that was luscious and drinkable for $35 or so will be good. I did try a Chateau de Sales 2003 Pomerol that was disappointing. I thought again that the Merlot would fuller in style..and it was all about the french stink. Sometimes that just isnt something to get into.
I missed the Cellar Selections of Major brands tasting but I get to try a lot of the product through out the year. That being said I did just bring in Pillar Box red and white. Great wines and in the Corner they will be nice additions. Alan
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)