vintage 59 wines with Debra Lewis/Vintegrity

Vintage 59 deals strictly with french wines from all regions

Merlin Cherrier Sancerre 2008 light, all stainless, some minerality but needs more weight...sauvignon blanc without the heavy gooseberry style

Alain Normand La Roche Vineuse, 2008 Macon some ml on the nose, but done sees no oak.. light clean fruit... not a lot of minerality either

Joseph Voillot Bourgogne Rouge Vielle Vigne 2007 sexy nose but very light bodied.. still some nice flavors up front but a pretty quick finish..

Montirius cotes du rhone 2008 barnyard nose, not as juicy as the 07 vintage but a nice wine none the less.

Montirius Les Garriques Vacqueryas 2007 heavenly nose, pepper and bacon fat, ripe rich fruit, great texture..wine of the day by far...

Coupe Roses, Minervois 2007 all tank fermented, starts green but finishes with some nice fruit... quick finish.

San d'Guilheim Cotes du Gascogne colombard and ugni blanc, a real porch pounder, light and crisp... great for summer

Chateau Haut la Pereyre Bordeaux Superior 2006 dark color, really nice texture, soft long finish..

Tour du Moulin, Fronsac 2005... french stink on the nose, beautiful texture, long tasty finish... very nice... shows why 05 was such a good year for that region.

ledgewood creek/James Frisbie

Ledgewood is located in the Suisun Valley in extreme Napa.

PQ or Pic-ni-que Chardonnay 2007 round like a cali chard... a touch hot and a little dull finish.

PQ Sauvignon Blanc 2007... melony, figgy, soft.

Three Clones Chardonnay 2007 buttery nose, rough around the edges of the mouth, marshmellow finish

PQ Red Cuvee 2007.. surprisingly good compared to the white... dark color, stinky nose in a good way, juicy finish..

Ledgewood Creek Merlot 2006 bright fruit nose, pleasant weight, ripe fruit, just enough oak, i have said before that I like cool climate merlot and this one just seems to have a lot going for it at the price

Ledgewood Cabernet 2006 good juice but a touch hot and maybe not quite as good as the merlot.

Ledgewood Creek GSM 2006 juicy, complexity that I didnt expect on the finish.. silky tannins, and dark cherry... very good...one of the ones I would take to peoples houses or tastings to get the wine into peoples conscious.

cline wines with melanie jarvis

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www.clinecellars.com
Jacuzzi Pinot Grigio 2007.. richer fruit color, more caramel color. lighter bodied wine that the look suggests... yet crisp and lively.. interesting body.. a touch of creaminess on the end.

Jacuzzi Pinot Noir Sonoma County 2007 dark berry fruiton the palate.. some good texture with it... from the very nice 2007 pinot noir vintage.. long finish..

Cashmere California 2008 the cline version of GSM... dark purple in the glass, bright fruity flavors, a little hot but I think it will settle down a bit with time...

Syrah Cool Climate Sonoma Coast 2007 dark purple in the glass, mocha, iodine, really enjoyable as both a cocktail and for dinner pairing, the finish goes a little fast but the upfront is very good.

Ancient Vines Mourvedre Contra Costa 2007.. purple in glass.. good extraction. a touch of pepper on the nose, lots of fruit on the palate, texture and a touch of eucalyptus on the nose too...

Ancient Vines Zinfandel California 2008 worries of what can be called ancient since there is no real designation of what makes an old vine... perfume and pepper.. jammy fruit but not too hot on the palate.. great with steak

friday aftenoon with kasey and high end wines

Two wine.
Illumination by Quintessa Sauvignon Blanc 2008 a touch of semillon blended in... lots of acidity, with a hint of the grapefruit, cat pee, good fruit but for the price I can give them as good if not better experience for $20 less. beautiful bottle though

Signaterra Benziger Three Blocks Red 2006 a high end bio dynamic property that has been the Benziger focus for a few years now.. dark fruits on the palate... and a LONG after taste of coffee and spice... silky tannins... I dont know if I understand the name but the wine is fine...

Ferrari Carano with Bob Leja

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tasted through the range with Jeremy Cobb and Ryan Pickert.

Fume Blanc, Sonoma 2009... i think one of the first 09's for me to try... lots of banana and bright tropical fruit.. acidity and a little creamy finish on the end... just released so it may soften up in a few months.

Chardonnay Alexander Valley 2007 very nice, soft malo flavors but not over the top... still some acidity... long finish of caramel and toast.

Chardonnay Reserve 2007 what you think is going to be the huge cali chard is much more mellow.. but end with lots of vanilla and popcorn butter.

with their reds I noticed a trend to have a bit of a light green edge on the nose off the bat but the flavors never translated through to the end.... they do enjoy high alcohol though coming from the hotter alexander valley area...

Siena, Sonoma 2007 the homage to italian wines, Sangiovese with Malbec, dark purple color, soft tannin, good fruit, ripe.

Merlot, Sonoma 2007... all mountain fruit, stinky feet green nose, pleasant textures in the mouth, a little hot, can use food.

Prevail West Face, a blend of cab, syrah, alexander valley, 2005 big flavors in the glass and nose but that seems to be its trick... lots of upfront fruit but not much complexity coming through...

Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley 2006.. green nose again, dark fruit, somewhat chunky on the palate.. not overly interesting...

Tresor Sonoma 2006 their meritage blend.. big red, full bodied with nice tannin structure, the best of the bunch for their red wines.

Fess Parker wines

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Fortress Sauv Blanc Red Hills Lake County 2008 bright fruit, more toward the grapefruit, although it seems they are looking for sancerre

Fess Parker Chardonnay Santa Barbara County 2008... clean and crisp with a nice compliment of oak and caramel on the finish.

Fess Parker Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County 2007... showing why it was such a good vintage... nice fruit, good acidity and long finish... just the right amount of tartness.

Fess Parker Ashley Vineyards Santa Rita Hills 2006... lots of tart cranberry, dried fruit flavors, long finish... maybe just a little hot.

Fess Parker Syrah Santa Barbara 2006... lots of upfront fruit, and some spice on the finish but maybe just a little too much of one note.

garco wines with robert

Image of Innocent Bystander via Snooth

Innocent Bystander Pinot Gris 2007 Australia.. mineral nose, wet stone is my comments throughout. good acidity...just not overly juicy style..

Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay 2006 Margaret River Australia.. mouthfilling, toasty oak on the side of the tongue there has to be some ML going on... 06 is their current release.. with 07 on the way

Laughing Magpie from d'Arenburg Australia... shiraz and viognier blend
dark purple, juicy with vanilla and dark fruit overtones... very nice

Kilikanoon Killermans Run Shiraz 2007 dark cherry flavors, lots of up front fruit but quickish finish...coffee seems to be appearing

from Bridgeview out of oregon, said to be the largest winery in Oregon

Blue Moon Pinot Gris 2008 Oregon light yellow color, sweeter than expected on the palate..brings out the fruit well though, long finish but a touch hot on the end.

Blue Moon Riesling 2008 pretty nose, honeysuckle and stone fruits.. good acidity and a nice enough finish'

Blue Moon Pinot Noir Oregon 2007... have to say one of the better pinot from this vintage in this pricepoint I have tried.. light rusty garnet, mushroom earth and nice fruit extraction , weak finish was its major drawback... still pleasantly surprised by this one

mount eden with jp vintegrity

2008 wolfe vineyards, cinnamon on the nose, bright aromatic fruit for chard... aromas of toasty oak that are evident on the palate but not overwhelmingly so

2007 Saratoga Cuvee Chardonnay, darker in color than the first chard... this wine is not ashamed of its oak treatment but not over the top...well integrated...

2007 Saratoga Pinot Noir, from the original Martin Ray vineyards in Central Coast... light opaque purple, bright tart fruit... good acidity and rich finish for the price.

2007 Estate Pinot Noir... intense nose, tea, cola and dried fruit, texture, style and quality in the glass. silky and seductive.'

2006 Saratoga Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon... the weakest of the tasting, soft on the palate, touch of oak, not complex at all.

2006 Estate Cabernet Sauvignoon, dark purple concentration, cassis, mouthfilling texture and flavors.. silky tannin and long lovely finish..

dry creek wine with matt mccormick

Dry Chenin Blanc 08 minerality..crisp...sweetness that isnt over the top cloyingly so

fume blanc, sauv blanc 2008 redundant... light, not a lot of acidity... citrus, spice..

sauv blanc..dry creek valley as opposed to sonoma... 2008 stainless steel.. melony mouth, a little more viscous..

dry creek chard russian river,06. french oak, toasty on the end.. some ml but really good expression of fruit.

heritage zin 2007 sonoma with 12 % petite sirah, lighter in alcohol... bright fruit, good acidity.. red fruits.

cabernet sauvignon 2006 bordeaux varietals, juicy...nice texture..some cinammon.. medium finish.

the mariner dry creek valley 2005 2nd vintage... big brother to meritage wine, all five bordeaux varietals... nice blend of oak, dark fruit... a sign of what aging can do, when I tried this originally it was way to over oaky...

wine with craig from pinnacle

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dog point vineyard sauv blanc 2008 cat pee on the nose, typical sb from nz juicy, a little sweet on the finish...a touch watery on the finish.

loring Keefer ranch green valley 2007... green valley is located sonoma, cool climate area where pinot noir does very well.. tangy fruit, tea and cola... surprisingly long finish... for the money a very good offering

Atalaya Almansa, 2007 a blend of monastrell, garnacha et al. light purple color, pretty red berry flavors, great value wine

Torbreck Woodcutters Shiraz Australia 2008
there isnt a lot of complexity to this vintage. juicy fruit that literally tastes like grape juice....

Kai Errazuriz Carmenere 2005 ... lots of oak, and juicy fruit... hot on the palate... way overrated for my taste... maybe over time it would settle down...

Haymans Old Tom Gin.... old tom is a style of gin popular in the 18th century...juniper nose but also some sweetness, extremely sweet on the palate...can see how this was used for slow gin fizz...

alecs blend from lewis cellars

Alec is the son of the winemaker...at one time I was able to get this wine then when it got popular it became restaurant only, then low and behold the recession knocks restaurant sales drop and all of a sudden I am able to buy for the store again... I wonder if it will be in the store after the recession is over???

2007 alec blend is syrah, cab and merlot..dark purple in color, lots of upfront fruit and aromas of coffee and tobacco...I was expecting a longer finish but there is a lot going on in the mouth....

Hirsch wines with Robert

Hirsch Chardonnay Sonoma Coast 2008 light yellow...all estate fruit, vanessa wong winemaker..some ml and mostly stainless steel... nice viscousity..

Hirsch Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2006 garnet color, beautiful rose, and tobacco on the nose, sweet fruit with cocoa and acidity...

Hirsch Pinot Noir San Andreas Sonoma Coast 2007. named after the fault which runs through the area...maple seems to me the predominate flavor that comes out... silky finish...great acidity..

Chateau Rock de Candale Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2005 merlot based... tight nose, red berry fruits, very finessed.

Fleur de Fonplegade Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2005 dark purple with edges of rust... cedar, sweet fruit.. nice finish. in the store.

Portal Vintage 2000.. dark purple fruit in the nose, sweet nose, dark fruits, very thick on the tongue... and not overly cloying long lasting flavors...not in the dumb phase at all.

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• Early thoughts on the 2008 California Pinot Noirs (steveheimoff.com)

testing testing

Image of Lail Vineyards via Snooth

The other day Robin Lail of Lail Vineyards was in our store.

Terlato wine with Matt Murphy/Kasey Degraffenreid

Hanna Sauv Blanc 2008.. crisp but didnt really want that to be the first flavor in the morning...

Tamari Torrontes Argentina 2008 honeysuckle on the nose, lots of aromatics and sweetness, again.. things tasted odd this morning...went to a beer tasting last night and it affected the palate a bit.

Mischief and Mayhem 2005 Chard and Pinot Noir from Burgundy... too cute name and too cold wine

Tamari Malbec Argentina 2008... juicy and showing some depth with cocoa and dark fruits..

Hanna Cabernet Alex Valley 2005... too cold, showing off the oak and tannin... it wanted to be silky it was just too cold to show off

Sanford Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills 2007... stinky but in a good way, nice fruit but too cold also.

Chehalem Vineyards with Caroline Schoonveld

Oregon winery located in the Willamette Valley near Newberg, which is where their tasting room is located.

2008 Chehalem Pinot Gris, Three Vineyards 2008.. light, stainless steel so no oak, crisp and a little sweetness

2008 Chehalem Chardonnay, INOX which stands for stainless.. crisp pure expression of oregon chardonnay made with dijon clone grapes that do well in cooler climates.. a quick finish on the wine...

2007 Chehalem Three Vineyards, Pinot Noir a blend of three sites, soft earthy nose, tea and mushroom... light and elegant... typical for the vintage but very food friendly.

Lail Vineyards with Robin Lail

I have to say I dont get too excited lately over wine tastings, but today was different. Robin Lail is from one of the early pioneering familys of Napa wine, in the time after prohibition the Inglenook line of wine was known for outstanding quality and only became associated with box wine after the sale of the winery. Some of the best vineyard sites in Napa where owned by her family. Recommended reading, "Napa".. tells the history and personalities of Napa wine making.

Lail Blueprint Sauvignon Blanc Napa 2008 made by Phillippe Melka fermented in oak then rests in stainless steel beautiful depth of fruit, loads of viscous fruit, melon and prosciotto on thepalate...

Lail Blueprinte Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 cab and merlot blend.. a touch young on the nose, bright berry fruit on the palate with a long finish.. a good primer for cali cab

Lail J Daniel Cuvee 2006... beautiful cedar nose, deep rich flavors of dark black fruits, and a silky finish... named for her father who was a major booster for what napa wine could be like before it was cool to like napa wine.

Canopy wines mack hoehner and

A new group of wines using cute names, gimmicks to get the wine noticed.

Middle Sister... doing several varietals and styles. because the middle sister always gets noticed.
something about birth order and the way one perceives wine.
Smarty Pants WHite.. California Chardonnay No vintage given. sweet fruit to start but ends a little dull... banana was the most prominent flavor

Rebel Red. a california red table wine no vintage.. a blend. that surprised me to be very juicy and approachable.. a little cinnamon ..not bad... good intro wine for people just starting wine

Pro-mis-q-us White.. chard/chenin and gewurztraminer.. soft white.. a touch sweet... not exciting..


Pro-mis-q-us red. much better... cab.cab franc. merlot.... tea on the nose, good juice.. light bodied but a little more intense than the Rebel Red..

Purple Cowboy Tenascious Red. lots of up front fruit.. nice texture... the label is a little too cute but again... people will be attracted to the cover.

Southern Starz with Lee Folkes

Nugan Vision Chardonnay 2008 almost chablis like in its minerality.. crisp.. but finishes a little hollow.

Sherwood Pinot Noir 2007 New Zealand light not overly interesting wine.. quick finish

Goulart Classic Malbec Argentina 2008 a little then on the palate...not smelling much today from the wines.. dark berry flavors on the quick finish

Goulart Reserve Malbec 2007 that actually has some cab in it and the nose shows... dark purple in color, very pleasing on the palate...

Tait The Ball Buster 2007... shiraz.cab and merlot... dark purple color, was remembering more robust flavors.. still a cute name and good wine for the price.

TL Buller Tawny Port Australia tawny colored, rich caramel and nut.. good value

Buller & Son Fine Muscat... creme brulee in a glass... lush and rich. great value

Wente with Bridget Epps

Tamas Pinot Grigio 2008 Central Coast... juicy, relatively light and enjoyable.. but who needs another pinot grigio.

Tamas Double Decker Red 2007 Central Coast.. juicy, a blend different grapes... a little heat to it.. but would make a great pizza wine... tamas has had some issues with branding... hopefully they will stay with the current packaging.

Wente SOuthern Hills Cabernet 2007 bright fruit, nice easy finish.. nothing exciting but very consistent..

Muerrietta Wells Meritage 2006 garnet in color, pretty aromas on the nose, using all bordeaux varietals this year except Malbec.. velvety smooth tannins, well blended together... more interesting than I remember

Wine with Chad Zimmerman, Agent Provocateur

from vintegrity

2008 Haut Rion Bordeaux Blanc.. melon, light and relatively crisp... nice intro to bordeaux white, sauv blanc and semillon

2007 Chateau de la Terriere Beaujolais Village . cotton candy on the nose, earthy and strawberry on the palate.. light bodied but really enjoyable beaujolais

2006 Chateau Malbat Bordeaux Rouge. a touch green.. 90% merlot and shows...light and easy

2007 Chateau de Pennautier Cabardes.. dark collor, lovely dark fruit flavors, some earth and just a lot going on... a blend of bordeaux and rhone varietals.and I think will smooth a little with age... great wine.

2006 Domaine de Pesquier Cotes du Rhone a touch of iodine and tobacco, llight bodied, enjoyable if not memorable.

2005 Domaine de Pesquier Gigondas... gorgeous fruit and mouth filling, texture and long finish... really nice wine.

2008 Fattoria Roggio Romita Chianti.. just the right amount of leather and fruit but finishes a little soft and dull.

2006 Fattoria Poggio Romita Friman Chianti Classico... wine of the day... dark color but some traditional rust, great mouth of cherry and red fruits.. nice grip though the finish...

Domaine de Beaurenard Cotes du RHone 2007.. iodine and fresh red berrys..

Beaurenard Rasteau 2007 juicy, ripe and very tasty... mostly grenache with some syrah

Beaurenard Chateauneuf 2007 dark and brooding but oh so juicy. long finish of tobacco and smoke

Beaurenard Boisrenard 2007... each wine just keeps getting better... purple color, oak on the nose that will soften with age... lots of stuff going on with the palate..

Great wines from Pinnacle Imports, or at least thats what the sheet said.

2008 Torresiluna Pinot Grigio...house pinot grigio for Brio's restaurant. light tart and fresh...another pinot grigio.

2006 Damilano Barbera...red berry still young in the bottle though..can use some time to flesh out.

Damilano Lecinquevigne Barolo 2004.. rusty purple in color lots of acidity... from a great vintage. Great food wine.

2006 Cantele Primitivo green overtones, some red berry fruit but mostly a lot of tart uninteresting wine.

Statti Gaglioppo 2008 watery purplle..light body with a pretty smokiness... very linear or one dimensional finish.

San Fabiano Chianti 2008... great wine.. meaty nose, juicy with just the right amount of leather... would match with any steak you put it against... heinz 57 in a wine bottle...