Marquee wines with Christopher Cribb/JK Wines

Clemen Vinho Verde 2008 a sweet juicy nose, with a sweet tart start but calms down to a smooth finish.. great example of porch pounder

Quattro Leoni Monferatto Bianco a blend of blend of Cortese, Chard and Sauv Blanc. gold yellow color and just a little off on the nose,, and dull on the palate.. will try again'

Quattro Leoni Grignolino a grape indigenous to this area of Piedmont.., only had seen that listed before with Heitz in a port... interesting funky color, a rusty pink...not quite a rose . light body and a little strawberry fruit.. fun bottle

Quattro Leoni Vino Rosso Barbera 2007... rusty purple..more sangiovese in style... earth and cherry.. rustic harsh finish... not a lot of fruit.

Old Hands Monastrel 2006 port/madeira nose.. somewhat juicy , more in a ripasso style.. stinky and not as fruit forward as I have had from other monastrell (mourvedre) in the store.

Caligore Malbec 2009 green nose from youth but will show better as it gets some age... juicy and hints of coffee and mocha on the finish. nice for the money

Waters of Walla Walla/Appellations

2006 Waters Columbia Valley Cabernet soft tannin on the palate ..wanting a little more fruit.. hoping for a little more character for the money...

2007 Columbia Valley Syrah dark purple in the glass. fruit nose but more about the earth on the palate... not as long a finish as the color would have indicated but a nice drink none the less

2007 Pepperbridge Syrah ... a restrained style of syrah. lots of acidity... may need a lot of time to open up

Epicurean with Sam Temme/Bommarito

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A gentleman from Australia... accent and all

Woop Woop Chardonnay 2008 very pleasant if understated wine.. mostly stainless steel so not a lot of oak influence...tropical fruit.. drinkable

Black Chook VMR 2007 Viognier,Marsanne, Roussanne.. the smell of diesel which is interesting because I didnt expect that.. no sweet fruit at all.. drier style of white that I dont really find appealing.

Woop Woop Cabernet 2008 slightly green on the nose, vegetal.. but the fruit and body where really nice.. better finish than start... and usually it is the other way around

Woop Woop Big Woop.. 2008 mostly grenache..again starting off green, then goes bacon.. juicy on the palate..dark red fruits...

Woop Woop Shiraz 2008... typical aussie noe and body...good value for shiraz

Black Chook Shiraz Viognier 2008 loved the mouthfeel...a certain thickness luxurious for the money.. raspberry was the predominate flavor... year in a great wine for the money.. Viognier is added to soften and sweet a little...will be off the next vintage

Riggs The Gaffer Shiraz 2008.dark purple color very full bodied and viscous but the fruit goes away much quicker than I expected... stay with the black chook, which means rooster..

Pacifica/Pinnacle

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2009 Manu Sauv Blanc.. soft citrus nose, not overly cat pee and bright grapefruit on the palate.. an almost perfect new zealand sb

2008 Huia Sauv Blanc,, how to follow up one Sauv Blanc with another... more astingent and all the bells and whistles of a NZ SB

Alpha Domus Navigator 2006 lots of oak on this one.. some nice juice and acidity but really just a little old for wines that in the same price point are into the 08 if not 09

jk wines with hoyt

Bauer Gruner Veltliner 2008.... really nice minerality and a touch of citrus.. not a long finish but perfect for the porch pounders.

Burgenland White 2008 a blend of muscat and gewurz.. interesting wine, dry muscat and dry finish.. lots of acidity and not a lot of upfront fruit.

Burgenland Red 2008... a light rusty color, harsh tannins on the roof of the mouth. not a lot going on in this wine.

wine monday with Summers Estate and Jim Summers

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Summers LaNude Chardonnay 2008... creaminess from being on lees but no oak... bright fruit

Summers Charbono 2007.. pepper nose, juicy with a slight rhubarb twist. not overly deep in flavor...interesting wine but a little pricey for being unique

Andriana's Cuvee Cabernet Sauvignon 2006... cab/merlot/cab franc. I liked the texture a lot.. long finish for the money...best of the bunch.

Petite Sirah Napa 2007... dark color, tight on the palate.. very linear finish.. was expecting more flavor from this wine

Mark Kalachnik Dreyfus Ashby

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Drouhin Macon Village 2008 light golden in color...lots of minerality and steel...not very rounded but not really crisp either... a little hot on the finish

Drouhin Chablis AOC 2008 drouhin is the largest land holder in Chablis.. minerality and ripe fruit.. nice example of chablis

Giesen Sauv Blanc 2009 gooseberry and not as much of the evergreen thing. more about the round flavors..

Vina Esmeralda 2009 Torres Spain 85 Moscato and 15 Gewurztraminer..which shows in the nose, a med dry finish... more for the female crowd

Drouhin Pinot Noir Oregon 2007... a tough vintage but the wine is showing really well today.. meaty woodsy nose, light red fruits and a longish finish.

Sangre de Toro Tempranillo 2007 Spain dark purple in the glass, tight nose, somewhat spicy but I have had many temps recently from more modern producers that are a better blend of old and new world styles.

Torres Celeste Ribero del Duoro 2005 have had this in the past and really enjoyed. juicy some coffee and tobacco notes but really tight right now.. maybe could open up some more in the bottle

Ricasoli Chianti 2006 traditional sweaty saddleleather that turns a little off... a husky finish to the wine which makes me think its more of an off bottle... ricasoli is the oldest winery in Italy.

Campo Ceni Red 2005 sangiovese and merlot blend.. interesting earthy nose but could stand some more texture and finish..

Loosen Bros. with Doug Krenick MS

Loosen Blue Slate Kabinett 2008 light straw colored.. lime and peach and slate...nice viscousity too

2007 Loosen Wehlener Sonnenuhr Kabinett...named for the Sundial in the vineyard site..?? slate, light petrol, minerality, rubber and lilac? and interesting and typically good bottling for this producer

Urziger Wurzgarten 2003.. spice garden... total diesel nose, and I didnt try it because it is not something I can ingest.. old good riesling gives me indigestion.

Loosen Eiswein 2007... said to be off.. i got the honey but not the offness.. usually it hits me on the nose as a musty aroma

Little BA.. Trockenbeerenauslese 2006 lots of acid to balance the sugar.. so it wasnt cloying at all.. very floral.

J Cristopher Pinot Noir Dundee Hills.. earthy nose and muted fruit but could be due to all the sugar from the rieslings I just had.. hard to try after the sweets

j wines with steve rubsam/glazers

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J Cuvee 20 NV sparkling wine from sonoma.. blend of pinot noir, chard and a touch of pinot meunier. earthy on the nose, soft mouse, more golden apple and citrus on the finish. pretty mid palate... nice wine

J Brut Rose Russian River Valley NV earhty yeasty 60% Pinot and the body is definitely heavier. interesting chocolate notes on the back... nice texture in the mousse too

J Pinot Gris Russian River Valley 2008 new label... sweet on the nose and palate but finishes a little more minerally. all stainless good viscousity

J Chardonnay RRV 2007 dark yellow.light golden color, light oak. malolactic. interesting after the morning tasting where the idea of Malolactic fermentation was scoffed at, here it is fully evolved.. yet the two wines were closer in style than one would think.. again..balance is the key.

J Pinot Noir RRV 2007 dried fruit notes on the nose, coffee and mocha on the palate. nice texture and weight.. and a nice kick of acidity at the end... trying to be more burgundian in style.

Misc. wines for wednesday

from major brands.

Clifford Bay Sauvignon Blanc New zealand 2009 lots of evergreen and citrus... with a quick unimaginative finish.. almost watery

Clifford Bay Pinot Noir 2009 light ruby, soft floral nose, soft light body, a little tobacco on the finish but light

Federalist Zin 2007 Dry Creek dark color in the glass, rustic flavors and not really a lot of fruit. very disappointing for vintage and region

Van Potts/Anderson Conn Valley

Prologue 2007 a bordeaux blend with traditional cab nose, good tannin, texture. Long time a restaurant only wine now available to retail

Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 very tight bottle..just having been opened up. tar and cedar on the nose, black fruit with lots of grip from tannin. definitely a long lived wine. 100% cabernet

Eloge 2006 blended wine, bordeaux style with all five grapes of bordeaux.. very nice round soft, feminine style wine.

Chardonnay 2008 Napa an atypical, interesting wine with a balance to it. 100% new oak, no malo, and a high alcohol content, very balanced.

Paul Sequeira with red car wine company

A relative new winery to the market.. made a bigh splash last year with the Heaven and Earth Pinot from LaBoheme Vineyard and 97 pts.

2008 Boxcar Chardonnay Sonoma Coast sweet nose, juicy with 100% ml...not surprising. a blend between the two styles of chard drinkers...

2009 Boxcar Rose a summer fruit nose, mid palate nice and rich and strawberry on the finish.

2008 Boxcar Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast earthy, slight rhubarb, cola, mushroom, quick finish but very drinkable.

2007 Box Car Syrah dark purple in the glass, stinky nose, juicy but not as much meat as I would have hoped for... see below..

2008 Trolley Series Pinot Noir.. earth mushroom, pretty garnet color in the glass. texture just like I like

2008 Heaven and Earth Pinot Noir.. light color, full of perfume.. lavender, gorgeous wine... there is a finish that is almost indescribable . romantic to the hilt

2007 Tomorrowland Syrah... wow... meaty nose, meaty texture and meaty finish.. dark color, coffee and mocha and bacon fat... yummy.. not a wine snob descriptor but it was delicious.

great wines with craig pinnacle ..pt 2

2009 El Cipres Torrontes Mendoza usually a sweet nose and this does not disappoint but the sweetness follows through on the finish which it doesn't usually do... not much acidity... kinf of flabby'

2008 De Bortoli Deen Vat 2 Sauv Blanc Australia... usual cat pee but a weak palate and a weak finish overall a weak wine

Solitude Chardonnay Carneros 208 beautiful california chard nose, no mistaking that for french.. long mouthfeel with butter and tropical fruit... surprisingly long soft finish.

Cantele Telero Rosso 2008 from the bootheel of Italy, made with negromara, juicy and somewhat stinky, but utlimately a think finish.

Finca Resalso Ribera del Duero 2007 earth and cedary nose, pretty dark fruit and some earthy tones on the finish

Guigal Cotes du Rhone 2006 pepper and fruit on the palate.. not heavy or much depth but pleasant.. not the bigger wine the 07s I have tasted are but still a good bottle.. syrah and grenache dominate.

carie with appellations/ Chateau Felice

Acier Chardonnay 2006... acier means steel..no oak, light, crisp and citrusy,.

Estate Chardonnay 2007 12 months on oak, most neutral. buttery and creamy but a long finish that shows the acid.

Merlot 2005...a little green vegetal on the nose, some oak, it seems to be alittle more bordeaux style, tobacco and earth on the finish.

2006 Euphoria mostly cabernet franc, pretty violet and earthy aromas, tea and cola and bright black berry fruit on the palate.. very pretty wine for us cab franophiles

2005 London Cabernet.. a nice easy drinking cab blend with just a hint of syrah. good juice and longish finish for the money

2007 Zinfandel a touch of briar on the nose, definitely a more feminine style of zin, controlled alcohol levels and a touch of the steak sauce on the finish... great steak wine

Dumante with Jim Dahl/Classique

A Pistachio flavored liquor, reminiscent of frangelico and amaretto . nutty and sweet but a smooth finish. not over the top sweet... a touch of cinnamon, reminds of an ice cream cone, with a molasses
base instead of grain alcohol it deserves a look but it is pricey...

qupe wines with gavin channin/pinnacle

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One of the original rhone rangers was Bob Lindquist who along with Jim Clerenden helped get across the idea that there were other wines in the world beside cabernet and chardonnay. The area of south central california near have a different climate needs and because of the topography of Santa Barbara they can coexist and thrive.


Qupe 2008 Marsanne Santa Ynez Valley lighter in color and texture than I expected. fresh was the best way I could describe this wine. with a little roussanne blended in.

2008 Bien Nacido Cuvee a blend of chardonnay and viognier.. golden color, juicy, a little unctious and light green olive that will probably go away with time. not the aromatic that was overpowering.

2008 Bien Nacido Chardonnay Y block. light tropical fruit nose, soft malo, just a really pleasant easy drinking chard

Los Olivos Cuvee 207 juicy, hints of raspberry on palate... pretty finish... a blend of syrah, mourvedre and grenache..

Syrah Central Coast 2007 a touch of earth and lots of black berry fruits on the palate... great example of central coast wine.

Syrah Bien Nacido 2007... dark color, cedar, lush fruit, dark fruits, a touch of iodine at the finish... juicy just a little hot but this wine had me at hello... great wine..just my style

Dick Vermeil Wines with Major Brands

These are old school wines in many ways. They seem to be still in fluctuation for their product line because what was tasted was primarily older vintages... the wines were still viable but when placed opposite other more current vintages may be harder to sell... not inexpensive wines either.

Freidiani Vineyard is the site the wines are pulled from, an older site that has the old vine wines. Coach Vermeil as he is called was born and raised in Napa Valley, so he comes by the wine business honestly.

Sauvignon Blanc 2007 golden yellow color, what was described as a "grave" wine from the bordeaux region of france... and true there was some minerality, flinty character but really a light wine in body. would have liked a little more heft in the wine.

Charbono 2005.. an Italian varietal that has only about 85 acres planted in California and a good chunk on this property. juicy on the finish.. nice dark extraction, some meaty touch to the finish.. interesting wine , very user friendly

Syrah 2004... ok juice to it, a little fleshy on the body but relatively uninteresting in the final final

Zin 2003 from vines planted in the last century around 56.. purple tinged with rust in the glass, more of a claret style zin, no high alcohol or extraction.. a little of a sherry on the nose which could be some oxidation from age....

Cabernet Franc 2005 beautiful nose of violet and earth, cedar, very lush and a strong mid palate of fruit that carries to the end... dark berry fruit makes me remember why I like Cab franc.

Jean Louis Vermeil Cabernet 2003 named for his grandfather..and probably wine of the day... pretty purple garnet color which surprised me a little given the age on the wine... lead pencil and cassis nose with dark berry fruit coming out through a long finish. maybe just a little too pricey but definitely a good bottle of wine.

Josu Galdos/ garco wine

A new line of wines from a Rhone producers and one theme that seems to come through in all of them is beautiful color and extraction.

Terres de Molines Cabernet 2007 definitely a cab nose, dark purple, hints of dark fruits but a light finish for what I was expecting

Terres de Molines merlot 2007 again dark coloring, light touch of green veggetal on the nose, non descript but nice...light finish.

Chateau de Nages Reserve Rouge 2008.. mostly grenache, a touch of stink, iodine on the nose, no oak, juicy but uneventful.. a little cherry on the back

Chateau de Nages Villes Vignes Rouge 2007 again with the dark color, juicy on the palate.almost fleshy, long finish...but I was hoping for more I think

Les Piliers Cabernet Sauvignon 2006.. juicy, dark color purple, crayon wax, good body and longish finish... interesting for a cab from non cab known region

Les Piliers Syrah 2007... wine of the day 100% Syrah, earthy and perfume nose, juicy, lush berry fruits, pretty finish.. ordered 3 cases

Chateau de Nages JT Joseph Torres Cuvee 2006 mostly syrah, dark, earth and dark fruits on the palate.. I liked it but for the money I thought the Pilier Syrah showed a whole lot more.

Lou Coucardie Rouge 2006,, would have been wine ofthe day if a little less pricey.. named after the biggest bull in a pen or bullfight.. this is a GSM blend.. not as extracted as the others but lots of power.. earth and cinnamon on the nose, eucalyptus and spice on the palalte... big rich and gritty... very nice

great wines with craig pinnacle ..

La Cana Albarino Rias Biaxas 2008 Big fan of albarino here.. and this one did not disappoint pear, lemon lime essences nice acidity and just enough heft in the volume.

Laboure-Roi St Armand Macon Village 2008 weight of water and as about exciting.

Marcel Deiss Pinot Blanc honey aromas, touch of slate, nice long finish.

Tres Picos Garnacha 2008... fruity, meaty nose, a touch green from youth, dark cherry on the palate but just a little chunky or clumsy definitely needs food

erin with glazer

Umberto Fiore Moscato d Asti 09 traditional honeysuckle, stone fruit nose, light palate pleasant but quick finish;

Pedroncelli Chardonnay Dry Creek 2008 a touch green vegetable, harsh on the palate...

Buehler Chardonnay Russian River Valley 2008.. oaky buttery and a touch flabby, not terrible interesting either.

Pedroncelli Pinot Noir RRV 2008 light, refreshing a good example of a pinot noir for the beginner

misc with kasey major brands

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Domaine LaFage Cote Est Catalan which is a region in france, i assume near the Pyrennes ...a blend of grenache blanc, marsanne and chardonnay.. the chard shows on the nose and the other rhone blends on the back... this wine could actually age a little with those varietals but it was nice and fresh with good acidity... it will be in the corner for the summer

Novellum Chardonnay 2009 French.. yellow gold color, american nose of vanilla and oak, the oak isnt as obvious on the finish as the nose would lead one to believe. this has been a solid wine for the last few years.

Marcoux Chateauneuf du Pape 2007 with good press I was thinking i would like this but it didnt deliver.. may have been closed up but lots of smoke and not much meat to it.. pretty light style, and for $70 I have a LOT of Chateauneuf that I do like at this price and less.

joel gott wines .glazers

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Joel Gott one of the up and coming wine producers in california, one of the three thieves...

riesling washington 2008... some nice minerality to it with just enough sugar and acid...a nice inbetween wine for german and california drinkers

sauvignon blanc 2008...starts with a grassy nose but there is more new zealand style to it on the finish

chardonnay... sorry to say pretty boring.. light and not a lot of flavor

cabernet sauvignon touch green on the nose that wasnt on the finish. some mocha notes but mostly just red berry and soft tannin on the finish.

zinfandel.. some briar... not overly long finish.. somewhat juicy but was expecting more.

The Show Malbec... best of the day... deep purple in the glass...earthy nose and juicy and lush mouthfeel... have had some better malbec but for the price very nice... from argentina

Misc. wines for wednesday

Nopa Vinho Verde NV mineral, slight effervescence pleasant acidity but still had a slightly dull finish... not bad for the money

Los Alisos Chardonnay Santa Barbara 2007... pretty golden yellow, but very flabby on the palate... some sweet tropical fruit but generally boring.

Murphy Goode Pinot Noir California 2008 rusty garnet color, dried fruits on the nose, lush on the palate but not a lot of there there... not much fruit or interest

Batussi Portugal red.. old world nose, dirty and earth.. some bing cherry on the palate but overall a quick light red wine.. not too interesting

Dardo Duoro red 2007 after you get past the stinky nose you get to some good fruit, could use some more body, quick finish but not bad for the money

robert noecker with garco

Ass Kisser white and red... white is chardonnay... light and easy.. the red mostly petite verdot and all the other kitchen sink varietals.. a bit green and light bodied... cute label

Emblem from Michael Mondavi 2006 Oso ..bears in vineyards ...not a good thing especially if you stumble onto one in the vineyards.. another wine with lots of texture and hiding fruit, maybe it will open up.. or maybe I was tasting off today because of falling barometric pressure?

carie with appellations

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2008 Dupont-Fahn Bourgogne Blanc light yellow..lemon and lime.. light finish.. not a lot of minerality to me

2007 Servin Chablis Premiere Cuvee... certainly creamier than most chablis I have tried recently... hints of citrus...lemon curd

2008 Pierre Chermette Beaujolais... true gamay nose of strawberry and slightly green fruit nose..as it ages will hopefully lose that.

2007 Les Aphillanthese Vin de pays de Vaucluse... wow. i was hoping for so much more given the vintage and producer... green nose, and light fruit, whats there

2007 Colline St Jean Vacqueryas Vielles Vigne... grenache stink.. coffe and berry but very tight on the nose, maybe it will gain something with age but right now not very interesting.

2006 Bandol La Bastide Blanche... juicy and dark berry flavors... mourvedre driven... very intense and also can use some time to open up in the bottle...

Hess with Kevin Theard /Bommarito

Sequana Saramento Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands 2007 dark earth and dark chocolate on the nose, middle palate was strong but not happy with the finish.. chunky and hot...

Hess Collection Mount Veeder 2006 dark purple, a touch earthy and dirty... gritty texture... more about texture than flavors.

Hess Collection 19 Block Cuvee... best of the barrels from the region.. a touch of syrah gives it a little meaty and coffee affects.. enjoyable

One of the best winery visits in Napa...

Alexander Valley Vineyards/Arnold Gilberg.Glazers

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The thing I have said about this winery over the years.. consistently good wines, if not great. Nothing overly exciting but no dogs in the bunch.

2008 New Gewurztraminer light on the palate...not the over the top floral bomb of some brands

2008 Estate Chardonnay.. 70% stainless steel, light oak when used.. a little tropical fruit, banana on the finish... but pretty clean overall

2007 Sin Zin. alexander valley, surprisingly soft for such a strong zin vintage.. more feminine style..

2006 Estate Merlot... rich texture... good fruit, maybe the best of the bunch

07 Estate Cabernet cinnamon nose, light texture, i was expecting a little more body I think

2005 Cyryus,named for the founder of Alexander Valley, Cyrus Alexander. juicy and nice on the palate... thinking it was going to have more umphhh to it though... to be fair nothing tasted exciting all day.

quady winery with andy quady /golden barrel

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Electra Orange Muscat 2009.. grassy, soapstone, not nearly as thick and cloying as I assumed... tea and orange...

Electra Red , roses and grapes... a low alcohol alternative for those looking for a sweet red wine..again.. not thick on the palate at all.

Elysium Black Muscat 2008 interesting grape varietal made from a cross of Muscat de Alexandria and Black Hamburg, which was a favorite of Henry the 8th's court.

Starboard Batch 88.. forgot to ask why the nautical reference.. on the nose a little medicinal , bug spray like off, luckily the flavors on the palate were much more in the with a tawny style port. nutty almond, apricot.

VYA an Vermouth made for todays mixologist who want more flavor in their mixed drinks. The dry was all about the herbal, and these were not shy vermouths at all.. The sweet was more about the nutmeg and flowers...