One of the sponsors for Pinot Camp that I attended last year was Penner-Ash. The wines are consistently well rated and enjoyable. We are tasting today the 2007 versions which got some negative press from Wine Spectator originally because of the rain that fell at harvest. However as the Wine Advocate said in recent issues if people waited till after the rains and then harvested they were given a nice grape harvest.
Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2007 pretty light colors and soft tannins. still showing some depth and a lively finish... i wrote down mocha. will be around $50
Dussin Vineyard 2007 this is what I like about Pinot Noir. The wine looks so pretty and opaque and hits you with all kinds of intense flavors of fruit and earth. great acidity and length of finish. will be around $60
Thursday, January 29, 2009
wines with bernie
Lechtahler Lagrein Rosato Trentino 2007 a rusty colored wine that unforunately had a little rusty character. Lagrein is one of the most planted least known grape varietals in the world.
Pepperoncino Capestrano Montepulciano d'Abruzzo dark purple color with a juicy start and a really quick finish. there are other Monte's that do more for me at the same price.
Cantele Salice Salentino Puglia 2004 dont let the age fool you, these wines are agers and need some time to soften up. right of the bat i got raspberry and dark berry fruits. easy drinking and a nice price wine at $13 for the money.
Pepperoncino Capestrano Montepulciano d'Abruzzo dark purple color with a juicy start and a really quick finish. there are other Monte's that do more for me at the same price.
Cantele Salice Salentino Puglia 2004 dont let the age fool you, these wines are agers and need some time to soften up. right of the bat i got raspberry and dark berry fruits. easy drinking and a nice price wine at $13 for the money.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Italian from Moet Hennessey
Cerretto Brunellos and Barbarescos are quite good and quite expensive
Bernardot 2004 tobacco and pipes ripe and rich and expensive
Brunate 2003 Barolo quick finish, light in color and expensive
Il Poggio Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva 2005 best wine of the group. rich fruit not as saddlebag leather as some get, long lush finish.
Nemo 2001 100% cab, with the nose giving some hints of it but very rustic, harsh finish and losing some fruit with the age
Santo di Steffano Moscato d'Asti 2007 soft easy, orange unique bottle and a little pricey
Bernardot 2004 tobacco and pipes ripe and rich and expensive
Brunate 2003 Barolo quick finish, light in color and expensive
Il Poggio Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva 2005 best wine of the group. rich fruit not as saddlebag leather as some get, long lush finish.
Nemo 2001 100% cab, with the nose giving some hints of it but very rustic, harsh finish and losing some fruit with the age
Santo di Steffano Moscato d'Asti 2007 soft easy, orange unique bottle and a little pricey
wine with mike dorsey of golden barrel
Sombrera Rojo Tempranillo 2005 a little old and showing some age. light color sharp acidity but not much fruit to back it up.
Mordoree Cote du Rhone 2007 dark purple , grenache/syrah blend. tight mid fruit and long finish but needs timeto open up more
Accordini Ripasso 2005 inky purple, pretty nose, very nice expression of fruit and not to much of the raison quality that you can find with these wines.
Mordoree Cote du Rhone 2007 dark purple , grenache/syrah blend. tight mid fruit and long finish but needs timeto open up more
Accordini Ripasso 2005 inky purple, pretty nose, very nice expression of fruit and not to much of the raison quality that you can find with these wines.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Merryvale
Great portfolio of wines always good value.
The new labels are a little confusing with their reserve wines now just saying Merryvale and Starmont will be the entry level.
Chard reserve Carneros 2006 light straw color, pretty ML, mouth watering acidity and carneros fruit.
Profile 2004 this is their high end blend. mostly cab that shows on the nose with cassis and pencil lead. layers of rich fruit that lingers on the palate..soft lush tannins. screaming for a t bone.... wanting steak all day I guess.
The new labels are a little confusing with their reserve wines now just saying Merryvale and Starmont will be the entry level.
Chard reserve Carneros 2006 light straw color, pretty ML, mouth watering acidity and carneros fruit.
Profile 2004 this is their high end blend. mostly cab that shows on the nose with cassis and pencil lead. layers of rich fruit that lingers on the palate..soft lush tannins. screaming for a t bone.... wanting steak all day I guess.
Marque wines
New wines from Spain
Old Hands Yecla 2007 Sauv Blanc pretty soft on the palate more california in style than new zealand. fig and melon as opposed to grapefruit.
Old Hands Monastrell 06 a quick whiff of green on the nose then some fruit. one note and done but for the money not too bad...
Old Hands Organic Monastrell 2007 more steak sauce nose, a little fuller and lush than the regular. still slightly green on the back
Trapio 2004 Monastrell Old vines but way too much oak and chunky heavy fruit. nothing subtle here
Classy Sauv Blanc Lake County 2006 a herbacious type of sauv blanc.. soft and quick on the finish
Classy Zin 2006 a stinky briary nose, iodine and tire rubber, a little juicy but quick finish also. and the labels are ugly.
Old Hands Yecla 2007 Sauv Blanc pretty soft on the palate more california in style than new zealand. fig and melon as opposed to grapefruit.
Old Hands Monastrell 06 a quick whiff of green on the nose then some fruit. one note and done but for the money not too bad...
Old Hands Organic Monastrell 2007 more steak sauce nose, a little fuller and lush than the regular. still slightly green on the back
Trapio 2004 Monastrell Old vines but way too much oak and chunky heavy fruit. nothing subtle here
Classy Sauv Blanc Lake County 2006 a herbacious type of sauv blanc.. soft and quick on the finish
Classy Zin 2006 a stinky briary nose, iodine and tire rubber, a little juicy but quick finish also. and the labels are ugly.
vintegrity wines
Estrada Creek Chard 2006 simple true varietal. not any oak notices. just good regular juice
Estrada Merlot 2005 enjoyable and noticeably not vegetal or green on the palate simple and quaffable.
Estrada Cab 2005 light bing cherry fruit, no oak...soft
I see these wines as the middle ground between Tisdale and higher priced california wines.
Yard Dog Red Petite Verdot, cab, merlot. easy drinking, not complex, but a fun wine and fun label
Shannon Ridge Wrangler red 07 a field blend and in this case the sum is not greater than parts. very chunky and a little hot...like a confused teen it seems to have potential but right now all knees and elbows
Estrada Merlot 2005 enjoyable and noticeably not vegetal or green on the palate simple and quaffable.
Estrada Cab 2005 light bing cherry fruit, no oak...soft
I see these wines as the middle ground between Tisdale and higher priced california wines.
Yard Dog Red Petite Verdot, cab, merlot. easy drinking, not complex, but a fun wine and fun label
Shannon Ridge Wrangler red 07 a field blend and in this case the sum is not greater than parts. very chunky and a little hot...like a confused teen it seems to have potential but right now all knees and elbows
michael david wines with Tom Minnerick
Michael David loves to have a good time and you can tell with the labels they use. good wines at a fair price and fun
Incognito White 2006 mostly Viognier and sweet. pineapple was my first thought. very viscous. a little drier finish but more sweet than I like them to be.
7 Deadly Zins 06 I can see why this is so popular. smokey meaty nose, juicy reminds me of heinz 57.. sweet barbque wine
Petite Petit Petite Sirah 2006 the label reminds me of Mollydocker with all kinds of circus references and dont even ask who has the bigger trunk... dark color, lush mouthfeel. a little quick on the finish but still a fun new wine to try.
Earthquake Zin Lodi 06 again with the meaty, briary nose juicy viscous... i think it needs food because by itself I can not imagine having more than one glass
Earthquake Petite Sirah Lodi 2006 inky and tongue staining the nose was a little stinky, iodiney but what a lush full bodied flavorbomb. very nice
Incognito White 2006 mostly Viognier and sweet. pineapple was my first thought. very viscous. a little drier finish but more sweet than I like them to be.
7 Deadly Zins 06 I can see why this is so popular. smokey meaty nose, juicy reminds me of heinz 57.. sweet barbque wine
Petite Petit Petite Sirah 2006 the label reminds me of Mollydocker with all kinds of circus references and dont even ask who has the bigger trunk... dark color, lush mouthfeel. a little quick on the finish but still a fun new wine to try.
Earthquake Zin Lodi 06 again with the meaty, briary nose juicy viscous... i think it needs food because by itself I can not imagine having more than one glass
Earthquake Petite Sirah Lodi 2006 inky and tongue staining the nose was a little stinky, iodiney but what a lush full bodied flavorbomb. very nice
Thursday, January 15, 2009
wines from gallo joe and adam
Ergo Tempranillo 2006 from Martin Codax this wine had been in the market before Gallo bought the name...in this instance they just provided some capital to make the wine better fruit nose and tight gritty flavors. a nice inexpensive introduction to rioja
Ghost Pines Cab 2006 pleasant wine but not overly interesting and not for $20
Bridlewood Syrah Central Coast 2006 gritty, iodine, all the things Ilove about syrah pretty earthy stink, i know it sounds odd but it works
Ghost Pines Cab 2006 pleasant wine but not overly interesting and not for $20
Bridlewood Syrah Central Coast 2006 gritty, iodine, all the things Ilove about syrah pretty earthy stink, i know it sounds odd but it works
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Bushmill 21 yr
Who says I only have to drink wine today they brought in the Bushmill 21 yr old. surprisingly orange and chocolate. the whiskey is in 3 types of barrels each one giving it more sweetness. Madeira, port and plain oak I believe are the types. Will retail in the store for around $100
Domaine and Estates with Ciaran
Layer Cake is back in another form. It was at one time only shiraz and now it is in several versions
Primitivo from Puglia Dark purple thick and indeed tastes like Chocolate cake...sweet and cute but not terribly interesting.
Malbec from Argentina is another story. 2007 from mendoza a touch of the french stink juicy and spicy.. very pretty but with an interesting twist.. not so one note as the primitivo.
Willamette Valley Pinot gris 2007 sweet nose that doesnt follow in the flavors. soft finish a little lush but not hiding the acidity
Willamette Whole Berry cluster Pinot 2007 these are the less expensive bottlings of their Pinot and if you like the smell of bubble gum and bananas then this one is for you. more of a beaujolais nouveau style of wine. however the wine itself is soft and pretty drinkable..maybe the aromas will go away with some bottle age
Trevor Jones Shiraz 2006 I would have blind guessed this as a cab,,juicy and good for a cocktail wine but pretty much one dimensional
Primitivo from Puglia Dark purple thick and indeed tastes like Chocolate cake...sweet and cute but not terribly interesting.
Malbec from Argentina is another story. 2007 from mendoza a touch of the french stink juicy and spicy.. very pretty but with an interesting twist.. not so one note as the primitivo.
Willamette Valley Pinot gris 2007 sweet nose that doesnt follow in the flavors. soft finish a little lush but not hiding the acidity
Willamette Whole Berry cluster Pinot 2007 these are the less expensive bottlings of their Pinot and if you like the smell of bubble gum and bananas then this one is for you. more of a beaujolais nouveau style of wine. however the wine itself is soft and pretty drinkable..maybe the aromas will go away with some bottle age
Trevor Jones Shiraz 2006 I would have blind guessed this as a cab,,juicy and good for a cocktail wine but pretty much one dimensional
Bodi wines with sean
Domaine Raymond Dupont-Fahn Chaumes des Perrieries Bourgogne 2007 to be honest it took me longer to type the name than try it. soft mineral and lime, nice acidity but really nothing to it after the initial rush. from the mersault region and not indicitive of the area
Mas des Flauzieres Cote du Ventoux 2007 which is the vintage of a lifetime according to parker.... this is grenache nose oak in the middle, chunky today, and a touch hot..... it may be too young.
Domaine la Bastide Blanche Bandol. 2006 I love Mourvedre and I was looking forward to this but it was so TiGHT there was no flavor some tobacco maybe but very rough hewn and unforgiving.
Mas des Flauzieres Cote du Ventoux 2007 which is the vintage of a lifetime according to parker.... this is grenache nose oak in the middle, chunky today, and a touch hot..... it may be too young.
Domaine la Bastide Blanche Bandol. 2006 I love Mourvedre and I was looking forward to this but it was so TiGHT there was no flavor some tobacco maybe but very rough hewn and unforgiving.
shannon ridge wines
Shannon Ridge from Lake County, the county just north of Napa. Not anywhere near as sexy as Napa or fertile as Sonoma but Lake has always produced very nice value wines and these are no exception
Chardonnay 2007 lush ml fruit, somewhat oaky buttery but nothing overly so...
Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 Soft fruit, easy drinking, a touch too cold but its hard to keep things in a warm range these days.
Zinfandel 2007 briary dark purple..a touch green on the nose and palate. my least favorite of the bunch
Chardonnay 2007 lush ml fruit, somewhat oaky buttery but nothing overly so...
Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 Soft fruit, easy drinking, a touch too cold but its hard to keep things in a warm range these days.
Zinfandel 2007 briary dark purple..a touch green on the nose and palate. my least favorite of the bunch
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Wines with Robert from Garco
Righetti Val Saia 2003 a super valpolicella?? Corvina, Sangiovese and Cabernet. looks like cola in the glass, earthy italian with some soft fruit but a little too rustic for my taste
Querceto Chianti Classico 2006 light purple nice acidity, rusty nail? was a describer used . light fruit but missing something in the middle. wanted more weight
Groth 2005 Oakville Cabernet full dark color, tight nose from just being opened cedar, and not wanting to give much in the flavor department. good fruit, soft tannins at least, silky
Kreusch is back in the market. Pies Mich Spat Riesling 2006 pretty nose of mineral and flowers but the body falls away pretty fast.. shy of minerality and fruit, not a lot of there there
Querceto Chianti Classico 2006 light purple nice acidity, rusty nail? was a describer used . light fruit but missing something in the middle. wanted more weight
Groth 2005 Oakville Cabernet full dark color, tight nose from just being opened cedar, and not wanting to give much in the flavor department. good fruit, soft tannins at least, silky
Kreusch is back in the market. Pies Mich Spat Riesling 2006 pretty nose of mineral and flowers but the body falls away pretty fast.. shy of minerality and fruit, not a lot of there there
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
odds and ends for Tues
And so it begins people will be bringing in wines to try now that the holiday season is over
From Robert with Garco.
Ken Volk Sierra Madre Chardonnay 2005 bright yellow color, tropical fruit nose, mango juicy this is a hand picked wine that originally cost twice as much as now because of the rainbow room...long story...case will be in soon.
Clos de Nouys Vouvray 2007 Demi sec or semi sweet style even though my sister who loves sweet would find this too dry. lightly sweet on the nose, mineral too...nice wine just nothing exciting about it at the price point.
From Mike with Golden Barrel
D'Aragon Carimena Spain old vine grenache....dark color and fruits but too green or vegetal. I either really love grenache or not and this was a not.
Maipe Bonarda Argentina 2008 an up and coming varietal from argentina...but not this one...again a pretty color but chunky dull fruit, not interesting at all...
Prunier VS Cognac an old family run cognac with hints of orange and alcohol...had to spit it out before i could get much more....seemed pleasant enough
From Robert with Garco.
Ken Volk Sierra Madre Chardonnay 2005 bright yellow color, tropical fruit nose, mango juicy this is a hand picked wine that originally cost twice as much as now because of the rainbow room...long story...case will be in soon.
Clos de Nouys Vouvray 2007 Demi sec or semi sweet style even though my sister who loves sweet would find this too dry. lightly sweet on the nose, mineral too...nice wine just nothing exciting about it at the price point.
From Mike with Golden Barrel
D'Aragon Carimena Spain old vine grenache....dark color and fruits but too green or vegetal. I either really love grenache or not and this was a not.
Maipe Bonarda Argentina 2008 an up and coming varietal from argentina...but not this one...again a pretty color but chunky dull fruit, not interesting at all...
Prunier VS Cognac an old family run cognac with hints of orange and alcohol...had to spit it out before i could get much more....seemed pleasant enough
first post of the new year
Happy New year and hopefully good wines will follow. Starting out well with a tasting by Samantha Rodgers of Chateau Felice in the Chalk Hill region of Sonoma. Even though there are a lot of vineyards sights there are only 2 estates in the Chalk Hill region and Felice is one of them.
Chateau Felice 2005 Acier (ah-see-ay) Chardonnay 2005 Acier is french for steel and that is what they ferment this wine in. No heavy oak here...straw gold in color and not overly complicated. just nice soft chardonnay fruit...nice acidity.
Chateau Felice Chardonnay Estate 2005 toasty nose that isnt on the finish...not a bad thing as chard sometimes picks up too much of the oak...would have liked a little of the caramel on the finish but....nice enough...soft...
London Cab 2005 Russian River red cherry fruit, slightly green on the nose from youth, soft tannins , one of the go to wines I have for new under $20
Chateau Felice Cabernet Franc 2004 one of the reasons I love this wine is smoky, and dark purple.. juicy and meaty.. long pretty finish.
Chateau Felice American Celebration 2002 of which I have a bottle on the shelf. 70% cab, dark ruby color, mocha and tobacco were most notable for me. softerstyle with nice acidity.. seems to be their benchmark across the board..more about food friendly and less cocktail wine.
Chateau Felice 2005 Acier (ah-see-ay) Chardonnay 2005 Acier is french for steel and that is what they ferment this wine in. No heavy oak here...straw gold in color and not overly complicated. just nice soft chardonnay fruit...nice acidity.
Chateau Felice Chardonnay Estate 2005 toasty nose that isnt on the finish...not a bad thing as chard sometimes picks up too much of the oak...would have liked a little of the caramel on the finish but....nice enough...soft...
London Cab 2005 Russian River red cherry fruit, slightly green on the nose from youth, soft tannins , one of the go to wines I have for new under $20
Chateau Felice Cabernet Franc 2004 one of the reasons I love this wine is smoky, and dark purple.. juicy and meaty.. long pretty finish.
Chateau Felice American Celebration 2002 of which I have a bottle on the shelf. 70% cab, dark ruby color, mocha and tobacco were most notable for me. softerstyle with nice acidity.. seems to be their benchmark across the board..more about food friendly and less cocktail wine.
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