Vincent Peyrat/Bordeaux with Classique

Amiral Dubroca Blanc 2010 Bordeaux ... definitely sau blanc.. pink grapefruit and lemon...

Amiral Dubroca Rouge 2008  80 % Merlot.. earthy on the nose, red fruit and easy drinking

Chaeau Desclau 2008 Bordeaux Superiore just enought earthy nose, some fruit and nice upfront tannin

Chateau Barthez 2006 Haut Medoc meaty nose, round flavors and very perfumy... but too old for the shelf

Chateau LaLande Red Cru Bourgeois 2006 Saint Julien.. green pepper and stinky feet.. tannins are noticeable and it drinks better than it smells but hard to get past that first smell

Chateau Colombier Monpelou 2006 Pauillac french stink.. soft palate.. missing something in the middle though..

rich with pinnacle/ miscellanious

2010 Pisoni Estate Pinot Noir  full bodied for pinot.. lots of tannin and a long finish.. very tight

2009 Forman Cabernet Sauvignon Napa dark light color but very clear.. long in flavor.. big flavors.. long finish.

2011 Reverlry Riesling Columbia Valley  light fruit nose, not a german style but not sweet like cali.. almost gewurztraminer nose ...    will be at the november tasting

Kim Gattshall Vintegrity

Primaterra Pinot Noir 2010 Venezia  some italian earth.. a little dirty and not a lot of fruit

Locations by Dave Finney 'E" for Espana lots of dark cherry fruit... lots of nice fruit..

La Cartuja  Priorat 2011  an earthy nose, tight on the palate.. upfront fruit..

La Madrid Bonarda  very inky color.. nice oak notes.. blueberry

Foley Family David Langford/major brands

Lincourt Steel Chardonnay Santa Rita Hills 2011  named steel for fermentation tanks.. unoaked.. lots of acidity.. not the typical fruit bomb of the region.. more like a sauv blanc..lots of mid palate activity and not much finish

Lincourt Pinot Noir 2009 Santa Rita Hills 2009. dried fruit prominent.. acidity is okay but thinking it may be just a little past peak

Lost Angel Mischief Red California 2008.. from purchased EOS fruit.. dark color and juicy... a blend of Petite Sirah and others.. nice finish. nice price

Bernie lee with Glazer Domaine and Estates

Cameron Hughes is a negotiant buyer who had been mail order only for a long time. now available..

Field Blend 2010.. zin blend with other black grape varieties.. zin was obvious and not in a good way.. lots of chunky briar

Alexander Valley Cabernet good tannins with sweet fruit... a liked the grip but it did finish a little bit rough.. like the first one a little chunky

Meritage 2009 a bordeaux blend from napa.. fruity but not a lot there

Joseph Phelps Freestone vineyard Pinot Noir 2009... everything that people do not like about Cali Pinot.. dried fruit.. cranberry.. not much complexity.. especially for the money.. pleasant but missing something

Coho winery with Gary Lipp/Massandra

relatively new to this market.. good press.. good vineyard sites

Stanley Ranch Pinot Noir 2010... once a beringer property... this pinot was more about the sweet fruit and light body.. not very finessed

Michael Black Merlot 2005... there was some oblem with the bottling but even then the wine was showing interesting character for the age... it would be fun to try another bottling some time

Summitvine Ranch Cabernet 2009  80% Cab with Cab Franc, and that shows in the nose, lovely tannins and just the right touch of oak... dark berry fruit

Headwaters Blend.. from the Combsville area of Napa County.. a bordeaux blend with cab merlot and petite verdot.. juicy.. good fruit and nice oak integration...

major brands crush craig

2011 La Croix Gratiot Picpoul de Pinet the chablis of the south.. Picpoul is one of the southern rhone white darlings.. this does not disappoint.. its a little creamy but lots of minerality and just a touch of citrus.  Going to have this at our holiday tasting

2009 Chateau Virgile Cuvee l'Eneide Costieres de Nimes  the blend of grapes I usually like but this young vine effort seemed to be missing something.. maybe age.. but the nose was the disappointing part, there was pleasant fruit and mocha finish... but the nose lost me

Sandhi Santa Barbara Chardonnay 2009.. light pineapple.. lots of fruit on the palate activity..

Zonin Thomas Crowder

Zonin Prosecco NV.. from close to frozen must to ensure freshness. unfortunately this brut has that slight burnt aspirin after taste that I find in some Prosecco.

Zonin Rose brut NV a pink wine made with Nerello Mascalese, an indigenous grape found in Sicily. slight mousse with a little up front fruit.. light

Zonin Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2010 Winemakers Collection  a lot of young vine character. a little tar/tobacco on the front with a quick finish... there are better out there

Folio wines with David Francke/Garco

2010 Masi Masianco Pinot Grigio/Verduzzo blend. the Verduzzo is treated in the passimento style or laid out to dry... adds a creaminess to the final result. interesting

2010 Frescobaldi Remole IGT Tuscany  a little fruit for a chianti.. and not as earthy...

2009 Masi Campofiorin Valpolicella... the weakest of the wines today.. some italian dirt on the nose and palate.. but generally flat

2009 Tenuta di Castiglione  pretty purple in the glass... light and soft

2007 Masi Costasera Amarone Classico  dark color.. long fruit contact on the palate.. texture is more acidity than heat/

Frescobaldi Castelgiocondo Brunello di Montalcino... earthy on the nose., embodies the idea of brunello.. good fruit representation and texture.. long finish

trinchero/ ellie kutter

Folie a Deux Russian River Chardonnay 2010  what the oak and butter crowd would love.. lots of viscosity.. good palate for what it is...

Terra D'Oro Zinfandel Amador 2009   all about the briar and bramble and dark berry fruit...

Folie a Deux Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2009  dark concentrated color.. but lots of berry fruit up front.. soft tannins..nice wine for the money

Trinchero Chicken Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon 2009  rutherford dirt and juicy.. interesting afte palate that reminds one of syrah... the meatiness of it.. silky tannins

Terra d'Oro Zin port Non vintage.. very viscous.. lots of dark berry flavor.

Heritage wines with Paul Underwood/Garco

La ginestra which was tasted earlier in the summer

Stefano Farina Barbera d'Alba 2010  tar and dark berry on th e nose.. some dark roasted meat on the back but not very forgiving

Stefano Farina Barbaresco 2008 light rusty nebbiolo color with a slight italian stink.. using slovenian oak.. good tannin structure with a longish finish... nice

Serena Sweet Red 2011  a blend of moscato and brachetto.. soft and not too sweet.. very feminine wine.. needs a chocolate flourless torte..

Bricco Riella Moscato 2011.. a light easy wine with some stone fruit components but really just fizzy and sweet but not cloyingly so.

missouri beverage autumn bordeaux presale aquitaine... as in eleanor I assume

chateau freynelle blanc.. 2011 sauvignon and muscadell.. which added much softness.. could use some more acidity.
us
chateau freynelle rouge 2009  merlot based.. young vines on the nose and palate... not as good as some in this price point

Laroque 2011...Vine de Pays de la cite de carcassone... 100% cab franc... and it was gorgeous... and inexpensive.. blew me away... lovely aromas and palate... not a false note in the taste...

belleview peycharneau 2009 bordeaux superiore.. dark color in glass and lush tannin and fruit and just a touch of oak.. very nice

Haut Colombier Cote du Blaye 2009  lots of fruit... soft and easy drinking... not complex by any means

Sant Andre Courbin St Emilion 2009 berry and cedar with the cedar overwhelming the tannin and fruit.. not my favorite

chateau coutet st emilion 2009  lots of heritage from the land surrounding it.. organic and pre phyloxeria.. but didnt right down notes so must not have been that memorable

Chateau Blaignan Medoc Cru Bourgeois.. smooth and supple.. lush.. much tamer in the tannin and oak department.. very nice.. and shipped in wood

Tournefeuille (turning leaf for Gallo fans) 2009 Lalande de Pomerol  merlot, cab franc.. no french stink... beautiful aromas  and loads of dark berry fruit.. very nice.

Mongravey Margaux 2009. with the order being 2010.. there is the french stink... 70% cab.. more earthy than the right bank offerings above.. and lots of graphite and cassis.. tannins are being obvious

Fonbadet Pauillac 2010  light bodied with a hint of iron on the front.. very nice drinking but for the money the ones above where much more exciting

La Riviere Sauternes 2009.. the usual lovely honey and stone fruit nose, soft on the palate.. unctious but not too much with good acidity.. palate cleansing could use some bleu cheese

kim with vintegrity

Hook & Ladder Gewurztraminer Monterey 2009  the nose and flavors of spice but not as viscous.. acidity is ok but seems to be lacking some umphhh

Leth Gruner Veltliner Austria 2011... a little spritz, a little sweet. and mineral... nice light straw gold color..

Boedecker Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2011  light colored with red fruit being the dominate theme... some meatiness on the finish that was unexpected and nice

Wine Guerilla Dry Creek Zin 2010  briary and forest floor on the nose, juicy with a nice vanilla aftertaste.. good up front fruit

Bodega Ontanan/ major crush /Laine Boswell

 A Rioja producer.. definitely in the old style.. showing the wine works that date back to the 1700's

Ontanon Crianza DOC a 2008.. tempranillo with 10% garnacha.. a little young vines.. from an old area ... dusty and old world style

Ontanon Reserva 2004 a beautiful perfume nose, with a touch of earthiness.. good mid palate tannins.. dark cloudy coloring

Ontanon Gran Reserva 2001  juicy, and showing more fruit than the younger versions.. silky tannins.. long pretty finish... very nice.

francois with marian fuchia/terra firma

Last week was Italian this week is french
From a rhone producer/importer

Domaine Saurine CDR blanc Grenache blanc 2011.. a little hot.. juicy and berry nectar sweet.. nice

Camp Romain CDR Village White.. 2011  the usual suspects as he calls them.. grenache blanc, clairette, picpoul, marsanne and roussannne.. good food wine. slightly stone fruit sweet.. good value

Dimaine de l'olivette CDR 2009... sweet berry nose, blackberry.. licorice.. a little viscous almost a cough syrup flavor.. lots of texture

Les Dolia CDR Village 2007... mouth filling fruit and some heat.. was hoping for a little mellowing out of the fruit but it was still young and vibrant.

Jean-Piere Mourgues Chateau Teyssier Pinnacle

An unusal tasting on a saturday but pinnacle was trying to do a brunch.. couldnt make it so they came to the store.

2010 Pezat Bordeaux with french stink and light purple in color.. bordeaux superiore very nice grip and tannins which will run through most ofthe wines tasted here .. was a great wine from the 09 vintage and this vintage should be no different

2010 Chateau Mazarat a higher concentration of cab franc with mostly merlot.. fruit and violet nose... beautiful juice.. pretty and elegant.. bought a case

2010 Chateau Teyssier again with the upfront fruit tannins.. felt tongue darkening in color.. can use time and a steak

2010 Chateau Laforge.. silky.. works on many levels... and lots of complexity.. and not so much french stink

2010 La Carre  dark and brooding in the glass not a wimpy merlot.. and needs time to open up

2010 Les Asteries dark and gritty and dry

2010 LeDome dark color intense tannin perfumed nose.. mostly cab franc with some merlot to balance

Worlds End" if six was nine" cabernet lots of upfront fruit. some silky tannins.. and pretty and definite new world wine after the bordeaux versions

Susana Balbo/Ben Marco/missouri beverage

winemaker Gustavo Bertagna

Ben Marco Malbec 2010... dense dark purple..which will be the hallmark of all the wines today.. ripe fruit on the nose and palate... dark raspberry but not over the top jammy...

Ben Marco Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 dark color from maceration.. a hint of chlorine? juicy on the palate.. lots of fruit tannins... . not afraid to be noticed

Ben Marco Expressivo a blend of malbec and others...tannat and petite verdot.. lots of cedar on the nose, and interesting how the fruit on the mid palate is all tannin... not wild about it.. a little clunky

Susana Balbo Estate Malbec again with the chlorine.. darker yet in color but more terroir on the nose, more interesting with pretty sweet tannins that keep you wanting more.

Susana Balbo Estate Cabernet from high vineyards where the grapes pick up some spice. elegant and lower in tannins... good structure.. nice

Susana Balbo Late Harvest Malbec.. allowed to sit on the vine much longer.. goes through a second fermentation.. nose of sweet molasis and tar.. viscous and lingering but not cloying.. very clean flavors.. from good acidity.. i was craving some bleu cheese

Indigenous Selections /Tamer Harpke/Bommarito

Continuing with the Italian theme of this week

Contratto Brut Millesimato 2007... made in the Franco Corta style.. but a vintage .. pinot noir with a little chardonnay.. very rough and not a lot of mousse

La Pinetta Vermentino. 2010  interesting label of rhino , not many in Italy. some minerality, lots of heavy handed acidity.. not finessed or subtle

Ciaci Toscana Rosso  2009 Sangiovese with some Cab/Merlot/Syrah. light bodied.. and again heavy handed with the fruit upfront.. very dark

La Spinetta Barbera Ca di Pian 2008  cedary on the nose, a little iodine? needs food I think

La Spinetta Langhe Nebbiolo 2008  people wanting a Nebbiolo experience without the Barolo price... this has all the tannin of one.. might need to age a little

Ciacci Brunello di Montalcino 2007... brickish and lush.. lots of tannin on the front but approachable

La Spinetta Moscato di Asti.. 2011. a single vineyard Moscato... freshness and soapy again but this wines acidity keeps it going .. more mousse on this than the Contratto.

Langetwins/Lodi/Golden Barrel

A twin brother operations from Centralish California

Chardonnay Clarksburg 2010 light oak.. wanting to showcase the fruit.. a little heavy on the alcohol
good acidity but ..

Moscato 2011 what I call soapstone on the nose, on the dry side... a little effervescence but a little dull

Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 tobacco tannic and almost bitter... tasting the blackberry notes

Pinot Noir 2010  slightly brickish in color.. light fruit.. light bodied... a little dull

Midnight Reserve 2006 a blend of Petite Verdot and other bordeaux varietals except Cab Franc.. very dense in color and flavors.. licorice and coffee.. interesting

Caricature Red 2010.. Cab and Zin blend, answer to the Prisoner... fun label.. bright color.. juicy.. a bit hot on the palate.. and some rough edges.. but fun

kobrand selections Italian portfolio

Chiarlo Gavi Piedmonte 2011... not sure if it is the vintage but this wine is much more Torrontes in nature than I remember... usually some good mouthfeel and juice but this was almost floral.. not as much mineral

Tenuta Sette ponti crognolo Toscana IGT 2010  80% Sangiovese... with cab and merlot in equal mix.. lots of tannin and grip... maybe will soften out

Tenuta do Nozzole.. dusty and violets. and tobaccco.. needs food i think

Agricola Pinica Barrua Isola dei Naraghi Sardina IGT 2008  predominately Carignan.. and soft dusty nose, lots of mid palate tannin.. and long finish

Tenute del Cabreo Il Borgo Toscana IGT 2009  beautiful nose of violets and anise.. alush wine that keeps going

Tenute Silvio Nardi Brunello di Montelcino DOCG 2007  lots of midpalate texture... and flavors.. dusty italian nose

Tenuyta Sette Ponti Oreno Toscana IGT 2010 dense color and tannic... made with bordeaux grapes.. can use some time

Tenua San Guido Sassicaia Bolgheri DOCG cedar on the nose, rich and opulent in the mouth... 85% cab and 15% cab franc

craig crush major brands

Chateau Blouin Bordeaux 2010.. yummy coffee and dusty.. good tannins and lots of dark berry fruit... i hope the rest of the 10's offer this good  and good price

Chateau Pech-Latt Corbieres.. Carignan and etc.. dark fruit color and flavors.. lush and mouthfilling.. good fruit.. and just the right dirty finish

Tommasi with Pinnacle

Tommasi Prosecco Tenuta Filadora NV  brut but I would swear there was a bit of residual sugar to it... floral notes

Pinot Grigio Le Rosse 2011 soft minerality and a touch sweet.. almost what I would call grapey which I get from the wines of Missouri..

Tommasi Rompicollo 2010  sangiovese and cab... lots of up front fruit.. a touch of meatiness to it.

Tommasi Ripasso 2010  straw and earth on the nose, fruit and tannins are just right... very nice go to wine for the area

Valpolicella Rafael 2010  soft red fruit.. good food wine.

Arele Appassimento 2010.. a blend of fresh wine and driedfruit.. a little more earthy and sweet. the step between regular and ripasso

Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2008... made in more traditional method with large barrels and not the smaller barreque (sp) slightly brickish in color.. pinr and light golden raisin.. very elegant mouthfeel.. nice

boomtown with janet johnson/kim klein/mo bev

Boomtown a washington winery that uses a picture from San Francisco as there logo. and they are originally from Wisconsin.

Pinot Gris.. green apple and crisp. light bodied and a little on the boring side... could use more umphh

Chardonnay.. dry dry dry... wanting more fruit

Merlot .. best of the  bunch.. juicy in the style of right bank... very intense fruit

Cabernet Sauvignon with a touch of Petite Verdot.. dusty nose.. lots of tannin and fruit trying to show through

Cakebread Lunch with Dennis Cakebread.JJ's restaurant

Cakebread is arguably one of the most recognized names out of Napa.. celebrating their 40th harvest.

Chardonnay Napa Carneros  nicely integrated with toast and acidity.. only a little malo so the butter isnt quite overly obvious..

Chardonnay Reserve .. a little more oak treatment and battonage or stirring of the lees  but not overly oaked... just from better blocks in the vineyard

Pinot Noir Anderson Valley 2009.. actually the second vintage available in our market.. the 2007 being first and the 2008 because of the intense smoke was not bottled. Clear and soft this wine makes a very good argument for wine from Mendocino.

Merlot 2009... a right bank wine... carneros fruit that is from cooler climate.. lots of grip and texture.. not the sideways merlot for sure

Cabernet Sauvignon 2009... whats not to love... just a nice nice bottle

Cabernet Sauvignon Benchland 2009... and when benchland is mentioned its with the idea of the Rutherford Bench.. where a dusty quality usually stands out.. no exception here... this was a big masculine. need a wash kind of wine... almost needs a tougher steak like ribeye or porterhouse

Dancing Bear Cabernet Sauvignon... named for the imaginary machination of happy bears in the vineyards.. this is the elegant feminine side of the winery... lush and supple... very nice

Banville & jones. casey squire missouri beverage

Dipinti Pinot Grigio from the dolomite region of Italy.. soft... real deal.. soft minerality.. soft

Terlano Pinot Grigio 2010... tall bottles.. more grip than the first pinot grigio

Terlano Classico DOC.. a blend of pinot blanc.. and other but very lush.. fruity. fruit cocktail in a glass without the syrup. very pretty and in the store

Ali Sangiovese green olive.. slightly green vegetal.. no oak... showing fruit on the palate.. a little licorice or anise and earth'

Copertino Reserva Puglia   negroamaro slight brickish color and italian stink... spices on the palate.. but earth too.. longish finish

Tolani Al Passo IGT Tuscany.. super tuscan anyone.. dense color.. full bodied.. nice acidity not as much about terroir as taste.. michel rouland driven... good press

Crush with Broadley Pinot Oregon

2010 Reserve Pinot Willamette dusty with some nice darker fruit but surprisingly quick finish.. and light

2011 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir.. pretty mocha/cocoa on the nose, good fruit tannin and nice finish

2010 Claudia's Choice Pinot Noir.. best of the bunch.l named for the wife.. tight nose that opens up to some dark fruit.. loads of up front tannin and red fruit on the long finish. yum

2010 Shea's Vineyard  roses and farmyard.. again intense fruit tannin.. and pleasant follow through on the finish..

vintegrity/kim gattshall

Zestos Blanco Madrid 2010  made from the varietal Malvar... pretty golden yellow but whoever called this a rustic white was sure right.. more rough edges than an old piece of wood, and about as tasty.

Primaterra Pinot Noir Italy 2010  again a rustic wine with some fruit and lots of mid palate tannin but not a smooth finish.

Poggio Anima Nero D'Avola Sicily .. asmodeus.. pretty chery with good acidity.. maybe the fruit fell off a little soon but nice for the money.

Purvis tasting #4

the theme was France

Blanck Pinot Gris Alsace 2007... golden yellow color and petrol for days.. lanolin and viscousity all around...

Gustave Lorentz Pinot Noir Rose 2011.. soft and easy on the front but not a lot of there there.. maybe a little orange zest but overall too subtle

Clos du Pape Chateauneuf du Pape blanc 2009.. soft yellow and thick in the glass (thats what she said)... typical for the region these grapes come off thick and brutish but over time will soften and honey out.. mostly roussounn marsanne viognier grenache blanc

Les Penses de Pallus Loire 2009 pretty color of garnet and bright nose from the Cabernet Franc.. red berries with some cedar on the back with soft tannins.

Miniere Bourgueil loire 2006.. another Loire wine that features cab franc... but showing age and terroir more... food wine for sure

Bergaud Morgan Beaujolais 2010.. showing an almost buttery nose.. fruity. raspberry and jammy.. rich

Chateau St Jacque Mouline a vent 2010.. showing much more dirt and terroir... much more restrained

Trevallon France 1998 coffee and earthy.. cab and syrah.. the cab comes across in the finish.. a bit waxy...interesting wine.. interesting story of the vineyard

Cos d'estournel St Estephe 1996 still showing lots of color.. french stink with a little nutty almond.. and wax.. (wax seemed a feature of the wine, must be my nose) black currant.. very nice thank you for the tasting

Chasse Spleen 1989 Moulis en Medoc tobacco and acidity for days.. enjoyed the mouthfeel but there was a touch of huskiness on the back of the palate...

Zelige-Caravent Manouches (which means Gypsy) black pepper and cant read the rest of the notes..dont remember liking it that much

Gonet Medeville Rose NV mocha and cocoa on the palate.. beautiful mousse. and strawberries

A brown bag wine again with the waxy character.. green vegetal character... not really digging it and turns out it was Verite La Joie from California

Lassague  2007 Saint Emillon coffee and roasted meats.. showing lots of dark fruit. really liked this more than I have in the past times I have tried this wine.. good depth

Clos du Papes Chateauneuf du Pape 2008 lots of fruit on the palate.. good acidity a bit of the bacon fat and iodine/iron.. all things that make CDP wonderful.. and it should be good for some time to come

wine tasting but dont remember with whom

Monfil Macabeo Spain 2010.. unoaked and softly mineral.. interesting porch pounder that is just a little out of season

Abadia de Tortoreous Albarino 2010 Spain.. again no oak and tasting this blind I think I would have thought this a Torrontes from Argentina.. more sweetness and floral than I remember them being.

Monfil Garnacha Rouge 2009.. iron soils.. unoaked and light..missing a middle i think

Pietro Marin Malbec Argentina 2008 unoaked but sensiously smoky.. cherry that doesnt go bing.. long finish.. very fun

Pietro Marin Cab/Syrah blend Argentina 2007 slightly rusty.. lots of tobacco but not much fruit...liked the malbec much better

Gotin del Risc 2005.. Mencia .. lots of cedar and tannin... may calm down.. may not

terra firma

Cuvee des Quatre Vents Bordeaux 2010 80% Merlot. a touch young.. a little dusty and ddark fruit.. restrained.. really nice for the price

Perenne Cotes du Blaye 2009 also mosstly Merlot.. just not giving a lot of fruit.. may be on the downslide.

Passion D'une Vie 2009 Cotes du Roussillon syrah and carignan and others. has some nice fruit up front but not a lot of follow through in the flavors.. having tasted wines from this region and vintage recently was a little let down in overall taste

herencia Dei Padri Priorat 2010 Carignane and Merlot.. for mountain fruit it was pretty blah

Kobrand/Joe Signorile/Major Brands

Taittinger Brut La Francaise Champagne NV not a grower champagne but they do own a lot of their own land. soft mousse and a more round style of champagne.. lovely

Jadot Beaune Boucherotte Burgundy 2009... lovely earthy. from a Prem Cru.seems like it will hold for a few years. very tiht but showing a lot of strength

Gevrey Chambertin 2007  a touch brown around the edges.. but still has strength to it also.. lots of palate cleansing tannins..very nice.

Valkyrie Selections /Golden Barrel

a new supplier who is partnered with a eric solomon long time rep.

Milou Chardonnay 2010.. soft, easy and drinkable.. but really

Milou Rouge 2010 Grenache/Syrah from the south of france. said to be old vine but seemed a little young.. may just be the newness of the bottling. lots of juice but kind of rough..

Bodegas Tempranillo Roble 2010// dark wine, dark dense flavors.. lots of mid palate and some cough drop flavors.. over the top for me

Bodegas Valdesil Montenovo 2011. fruity and floral.. Godello is the grape type.. limited tonage and stainless steel.. very pretty..

Bodegas Valdesil Valdesil 2011... golden yellow and fuller bodied than the other but not sure if the money difference is justified. 

Mercat Cava Brut NV . this spends 2 times longer on the lees before bottling happens. lower sugar dosage.. deeper and more body than most cava.. using traditional cava grapes from spain.

bryant bickel/massandra

Seven Hills Riesling Washington 2009.. apple and petrol.. missing depth may be too old

Sarapo Donato Pinot Noir Carneros/Sonoma Coast 2009 dark and lots of flavor.. silky tannins that stay with you

Rodolfo Malbec 2010.. not the run of the mill malbec, smoky nose and palate.. with bold plum fruit without being overly jammy.. nice

kysela imports/ golden barrel

Rubus Chardonnay California b2009.. a negociant wine not produced every year. very waxy and some off smells...still has round finish and a little caramel on the finish...

Vitas Pinot Grigio Friuli 2010  from gravel soil.. no oak and low yield.. soft to dull finish

Rubus Barossa Shiraz 2010 low yield.. dark in the glass.. lots of juicy fruit and lush mouthfeel. not bad for negociant but still australia

Siegel Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 stinky feet.. green on the nose, this didnt translate to the palate.. with nice touch of spice from the syrah

Siegel Pinot Noir Reserve 2010 both Siegel are from Chile, this is light colored and still pretty powerful, even if not in a good way.. tar and dark fruit.. not too exciting though

Ecard Bourgogne Rouge Pinot Noir 2009 some earth and mushroom, a bit cloudy in the glass but the fruit is subtle.. definitely a feminine style

Alain Juame Chateauneuf du Pape Vieux Terron 2010  a tight nose to start but opened up to show some pepper and coffee.. juicy fruit with a nice tannic grip to make you remember.. pretty dark brooding purple(favorite of the day)

Gran Crucero Chile 2009 a blend of cab/syrah and carmenere. chile s btink? on the nose,from the carmenere.. and spice from the syrah. maybe a little more balanced

Domaine de la Colline St Jean Vacqueryas 2010  french stink.. a spice I cant name but not unpleasant.. dark fruit.. maybe a little off.

Mark Lindzy /eric solomon/major brands

Eric Solomon is one of thethat parker likes a lot and with the portfolio they have its not hard to see why. On par with Jorge Ordonez , almost with Kermit Lynch.

Pazo de Senorans Albarino Rias Baixas 2011.. a touch of mineral slight banana? not sweet but definitely elegant

Michel Gassier Cerius Blanc France 2011 grenache blanc with a little sauv blanc, unfortunately the SB seems to overpower... but still tasty..just not as good as other grenache blanc

Creat Roble Ribera del Duero 2009.. bright red fruit and lots of it.. very modern in style.. and always have liked duero over Rioja..

Pesquie Terrasses Rouge Cotes de Ventoux 2011.. bright color and big wine...again with the red fruits.. with a nice meatiness.. a little heat from alcohol but food would make that nonexistant

Michael Gassier Cercius Rouge Cotes du Rhone 2011  grenache and syrah.. yum. very fruit forward with a dash of pepper..

Izadi Rioja traditional and lots of cedar.. tannin and  wondering if it would ever soften up.

Steve Grass/Pali Wine Company/Missouri Beverage

to give this some veritas.. i did just have some spicy pepper beef before trying these

Pali Chardonnay Charm Acres 2010... lots of acidity.. low oak and ml.. fermented in the barrel... a little hot on the palate.. and even with stirring of lees it still seems to be lacking some body

Pali Pinot Noir Riviera 2010 soft red fruit nose, from the Sonoma Coast.. soft cherry and surprising with a little meatiness on the finish..

Pali Alphabets 2010 Willamette Valley  tight nose and dark fruits but lots of middle palate heat..distracting]

Pali Pinot Noir Bluffs 2010... pretty floral and earthy nose.. juiciest yet. good acidity but still with some heat

Pali Pinot Noir Huntington 2010 a touch brickish in color.. and again with the heat.. this was the highest of the alcohol contents

Pali Tower 15 The Sweet Red 2009 a blend of Cab and Petite Verdot.. showing the petite verdot with a slight vegetal nose and again with the heat...either my tongue was done in by the pepper beef or this winery would show much better with food

Walter Hansel with my Major crush Craig

Hansel , not to be confused with Hanzell, is located in sonoma Russian River area and produces pinot and Chardonnay.

2011 Sauvignon Blanc..Lake County.. herbacious and thick.. not for the faint of heart

2009 Estate Chardonnay golden yellow and lots of toasty creamy unctiousness.. but not devastatingly so.. rich yellow notes.

2009 Reserve Chardonnay with again the pretty light golden color. restrained and elegant.

2009 Pinot Noir "Cuvee Alyce" spice box and saddle leather.. light rhubarb and spice follow through to the soft and elegant finish... lovely

Dan Rosenberg Empson USA Bommarito

Bucci Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi 2010.. one of my favorite Verdics and never disappoints.. so much more than the similiarily priced pinot grigio.. creamy and pretty

Jerman Vinnae 2010.. a blend of northern italian white grapes.. tokai, riesling,. and still not sweet on the finish. viscous..

jerman Red Angel Pinot Noir 2009... with 10 % refrosco.. good juice.. a nice balance between new and old world style.. tight nose but opens up with some air

Villa Vatilde-Aglianico 2008.. dark purple.. deepp fruit.. upfront tannins and good value .. from the region of campania

Speri Valpolicella La Roverina 2009  tight nose, but good cherry fruit on the finish.. should be more popular than it is.

Speri Amarone 2007.. lots of color and am looking forward to trying it again because this one had a touch of cork to it

bryant bickel with massandra

Leguin-Colon-Bourgogne Chardonnay 2008.. round and smoky and almost too much so. a little flabby... fine for the price but most of this type are already into the 2010 vintage

MollyDooker The Violinest Verdejo Australia 2011... surprisingly sweet nose that didnt really translate to the palate.. nutty and refreshing... reminds of an albarino

Eveningland Pinot Noir California 2009 smoky sweet nose and the fruit is uber jammy for a pinot.. lots of bing cherry..

The Ghost of 413 Columbia Valley . No blend is listed but the thoughts that it is cab and syrah... upfront fruit and then an interesting middle ground.. woodsy. with long tannin

Celani Family Vineyards/Bob Bond

To make a small fortune in wine you have to have a large one to begin with, such is the case here.

Celani Chardonnay Napa Valley 2009  very traditional cali chard.. butterscotch, vanilla juicy with ml and oak, but not over the top, still big cocktail chardonnay

Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2008.. from the heart of napa.. 98& cab and 2% Malbec... lots of upfront.. fruit and tannin.. some heat on the palate but would cut through a steak easily.. tar and tobacco on the long silky finish

Tenacious Red Napa 2007, their version of a right bank bordeaux.. merlot and cab franc.. but of course if they put merlot on the label it wouldnt sell... dark and brooding nose, loads of dark fruit... think I liked this more than the Cab.

A TO Z and other Oregon Wineries/Bommarito

A to Z is one of my favorite value oregon wineries
A to Z Chardonnay Oregon 2011... light golden, no oak and no malo.. light mineral.. okay acidity.. just a nice bottle

A to Z Pinot Gris  Oregon 2011.. slight sweet on the nose, creamy and mouthfilling. much more enjoyable than the chard

A to Z Pinot Noir Oregon 2010... rhubarb.. and more herbacious.. maybe because of age.. a little green tea on the back... needs food

Rex Hill Reserve 2010 Willamette valley. pretty purple with lovely truffle and dust on the nose, nice and complex flavors with layers of flavors.

William Hatcher Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2009... light garnet color.. dusty mushroom light fruit on the nose but a lush feminine style

Francis Tannahill Pinot Noir The Hermit 2009 Dundee Hills  lots of fruit and tannins.. more masculine in style.. lots of tongue action.. pretty cola/tea notes on the finish

Thierry Plumettaz Marquis and Domaines/Glazer/Bernie Less

Domaine Ott Rose Cotes de Provence 2011 Grenache based very linear in style.. dry and subtle

Carpe Diem Chardonnay Central Coast 2007.. too old? minerally style..trying to be burgundian in style.. maybe too much so.

Delas Cote du Rhone 2010 Bloos and earth, a little lighter than expected but still good grip. a bit of heat... can use time to open I think

Pio Cesare Cortese di Gavi 2011 crips mineral and long finish.. good food wine

Querciabella Chianti Classico 2007   just enough cab (5%) to give a needed backbone.. french barriques give more structure.. still some italian rusty character but subdued this time

Pio Cesare Barolo 2007 from the great vintage.. soft but noticeable tannin.. juicy and just enough of the italian stink.. great nebbiolo

Ramos Pinto Tawny 10 yr Port aggressive nose, high alcohol. lots of caramel, almond and marscapone.. but not too thick or cloying on the palate... would love some blue cheese with this

Marian with Terra Firma

Sometimes Marian brings hidden gems... these not so much.

Andre DeLorme Sparkling White wine from France.. a rustic style that wasnt showing much mousse.. a touch of residual sugar. and a little aggresive on the finish.. not so much about finesse

Cloister de Clergye Beaujolaid Village 2009.. a mid priced but mid interest gamay.

Martin le Foret Bourgogne 2009 a blend of Pinot Noir and Gamay... this wine is the very first European wine that ever tasted like a Vinis Labrusca... that foxy cloying taste.. weird

massandra with bryant bicket

LaPlaya Sauvignon Blanc 2011.. fresh and refreshing.. not as grapefruit as I was expecting.. definitely an herbal style.

Eola Hills Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2009 dried fruits that you expect from a pinot. a little more heat than was expecting.. and strong mid palate giving way too soon..looking forward to 2010.

Andrieux & Fils Cote du Rhone Village 2009.. very disappointing, especially after the great Santa Duc earlier. boring and flat

Poggio il Casterlore Rosso 2008  definite Italian nose.. of earth and crushed roses.. leather and  dirt, which i guess is earth. good acidity and would work well with food.

Craig my Major Crush

Michel Picard Macon Villages 2008.. nice velvety tongue feel.. some malo maybe but quickish finish

Michel Picard Pouilly Fuisse 2008 definitely the worst bottle I tried today.. musty and corked but screwtop.. some green apple but just not good

Michel Picard Vouvray 2010.. soft and elegant sweetness.. still getting that acidity from granny smith... must be wanting apples.

Leviathan 2009 California a blend of 4 grapes.. cab/merlot/syrah and Zinfandel.. having just tasted through some lush and ripe malbec this wine was much more subdued than expecting. much more refined.. the zin was showing the briary side.. but there was a nice silky finish. got better as we tried it.

Joyce with Pinnacle

Rudi Weist Mosel Riesling 2011... new sexy package (thats what she said) lots of mouth watering acidity... traditional green apple and mineral.

Schug Sonoma Pinot Noir 2009  cinnamon and spice on the nose, subtle and pretty

Santa Duc Cotes du Rhone 2009.. just gorgeous.. my kind of wine. rich with tobacco and tar on the end of the dark molassis and slight green olive finish.

Kiona Cab/Merlot Washington 2006.. joyce was more of a fan than I was. It was showing well enough for a 2006... but still a little clunky and disjointed

Kilakannon Killermans Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon South Australia 2009  lots of bing cherry with nice enough palate filling juice.. maybe would like a little more for the money

Banfi with Sharron McCarthy /Glazer

Banfi's Southern Hemisphere property was the focus today.

Trivento Amaro Sur 2010 Argentina  red blend malbec/bonarda and syrah blend. plush and elegant. syrah seems to give some body and smoke

Trivento Amaro Sur 2009 Argentina white blend. torrontes/viognier/Chardonnay... showing the soil in the nose.. more riesling like.. a little over the hill.Usually the white is a vintage ahead of the red not behind.

Concha y Toro Terrunyo (triangle) Sauvignon Blanc 28 rich and thick.. ultra herbacious... cant imagine this as a food wine...over the top sb

Concha Gran Reserva Malbec Chile.. yes chile.. and very lush with some good grip on the palate.. if not too much from the new american oak.... interesting.. cab drinkers malbec

Gran Reserva Carmenere 2009 smoky with just a touch of green bell pepper on the nose, a nice fruit filled palate..

Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet 2009..  described as the baby melchior.. lots going on with this wine.. velvety texture and black fruit...best wine of the group

Trivento Golden Reserve 2008  malbec mostly again with the smoke... lots of griip.. a little heat on the finish but still yummy

Maison Bleue Washington Winery/ JK Wines

A new winery from Washington from Jon Martinez who was a dentist in the Kansas City area who moved out to follow a dream to make wine. He worked with Michael Amigone who makes good wine here in missouri from rhone varietals and cab franc.

There will be reds available at some time.

French Creek Chardonnay Yakima Valley 2011... wanting to be more of the french style, this wine has hints of oak and vanilla but more subtle.. it does seem just a little flabby on the palate.. the soft caramel from oak at the finish.

Viognier 2011.. my favorite wine. slight aromatics not the over the top you get from california versions. pretty mouthfeel, with beautiful fruit of peach and other stone fruits.. but NOT sweet... very subtle.. way nice.

Rose of Mourvedre ... makes me look forward to his Mourvedre.. light some earthiness that is nice.. a little soapy mineral on the finish.. just coming in too late for this rose season.

Vermeil wines with Dick Vermeil/Major Brands

Mr Vermeil has been in the store before to taste wines and this years offerings seemed to have improved over previous efforts. having grown up in the vineyard sites that he uses he definitely has a good perspective of the region.

Sauvignon Blanc Napa 2010.. very pretty aromatics, definitely more herbacious in style but not offensively (no pun) so... lingering flavors... nice weight

Cabernet Franc Napa Valley 2007... smoky violet aromas, tastes like a winery smells.. maybe a little bretymyacin on it... but not off putting

Cabernet Sauvignon Jean Louis Vermeil Napa 2008.. named for his grandfather.. very clear and purple.cedary and good juice that keeps the grip going throughout... not a wimpy wine

Zinfandel Napa Valley 2009  if ever there was a briary zin this is it. jammy with red and black fruits.. and even with over 15% alochol not hot on the finish.

XXXIV Red Napa 2009.. a blend of cab/cab franc/ and petite verdot.. again with the smoky and juicy.. dark fruit flavors... pleasant finish.

italian wine with my major crush/ craig

La Maschera Prosecco NV. xtra dry... soft  mousse.. and a little underripe banana.. but soft

D'antiche Terre Greco di Tufo 2010  ..one of my favorite white varietals.. round and smooth with just enough mouth watering acidity.. and beats the pants of most pinot grigio

Nardello Soave Classico  2010  minerally and yet a bit of creamy texture on the end. long finish

Renzo Castella Rivolia Dolcetto Diana D'Alba 2010.. the aromas and taste of young vines but an interesting meatiness in the end.. may just need some time to mature a little for the front to open up

Raina Umbria Rosso 2009.. a blend of Sangiovese  and montepulciano.. juicy but not overly interesting.. a little boring.. a workhorse is how it was described to me and that would be good except for the price.

Cantina Pedres Cannonau de Sardignia 2009  a grenache wine from the island of sardinia.. meaty and just a little heat... also missing some acidity but it was tasted a little too warm.

a few wines with joyce/pinnacle

2011 Siduri Willamette Valley Pinot Noir .. soft and charming.. nice tannins and a good fruit finish

2010 Entresuelos Tempranillo Vin de la Tierra Castilla y Leon tight nose with a little cola and tea coming through.. lots of meaty mid palate flavors that keep going.. a really great food wine for the money

2008 van Hovel Scharzofberg Riesling Spatlese Saar... loads of flinty character.. light alcohol.. and some pretty granny smith apple on the finish.

Abbazie di Novacella with Becky Vuolo-Paglia/Pinnacle

one of the things I love about wine is history.. and how they relate
This winery in an old monastery seems more German than Italian because of the history involved with the Austro-Hungarian empire. Only since world war one has it been considered part of Italy.

Abbazia di Novacella Gruner Veltliner 2011... considered the national white grape of Austria it isnt that much of a stretch to find it here.. hand picked and fermented in stainless steel.. very crisp but wanting just a little more umph

A d N Kerner 2011... a hybrid  between riesling and sciava (sp?) found in northeastern Italy. interesting varietal.. lush on the palate.. good fruit... a little more body than pinot grigio... kind of reminds one of greccheto..

AdN Kerner "prarpositus" 2011.. select barrels for this kerner.. best of the bunch. translates roughly to head brother... or lead brother.. nice for sure but not sure if the price difference  translates.

AdN Lagrein 2010. a popular red grape in the northeastern corner of italy... dark color .. some green vegetal on the nose but may be from youth. ..soft finish...nice alternative to pinot noir

AdN Pinot Nero 2010.. a bit of caramel and green pepper on the nose, greeenish on the palate.. not a fan

Bordeaux with Vincent Peyrat/Terra Firma

Baron de Luze Bordeaux 2009.. mostly merlot.. a touch rusty in the glass... french stink on the nose and followed through on the finish

Chateau Senaillhac Bordeaux Superior 2005 all but malbec in the blend. 8 months on oak.. pleasant enough mouthfeel and a spicy gingerbready finish

Ch PierreFitte Lalande-de-Pomerol 2008.. an off nose, showing too much earth

Ch Mallaret Haut Medoc Cru Bordeaux.. still the french stink nose, but lovely mouthfeel.. and soft tannin finish.. yummy but pricy.

Maritime Wine Trading Collective/ Edwin Olivieri/Garco

Caution Cute Labels ahead.. usually a sign of weak wines.. made from one of the Ravenswood originals I think'

2010 Ministry of the Vineterior Chardonnay Russian River  unoaked with some ml for creaminess.. and stirring of the lees..slight golden color... a little green apple on the finish.. a nice drink

2009 Ministry of the Vinterior The Messenger Cabernet Sauvignon  dark fruit on the nose along with a strong alcohol tint. showing nice enough fruit but not very complex and the heat from the alcohol keeps on giving

2009 Ministry of the Vinterior Messenger Zinfandel.. much nicer than the cab.. briary .woodsy on the nose and with some cedar.. loaded with good juicy fruit. will be in the store

Torrontes with Kevin Hodge /kim klein/mo bev

Just the other night it was commented on how quickly Torrontes has blown up in this market. It seems to hit the right points for many people in that there is a refreshing crispness with beautiful aromas and just a hint of sweetness.

Mapema Sauv Blanc 2011 Argentina... very soft.. almost too much so... not herbal and not grapefruit

La Posta Cocina Blanco 2010.. a blend of chard/torrontes and sauv blanc.. bright fruit up front but a quick finish

Coquena Torrontes 2010 argentina.. very pretty nose, lush mouthfeel but enough acidity to keep it interesting

Purvis tasting group wines

.. Another fun lineup with interesting wine afficionados tasting through about 18 wines
Yangarra Grenache 2008.. waxy upfront nose, rich flavors but seemed to be missing something for me on the finish. Yangarra is aboriginal for From The Earth

Urlar New Zealand Pinot Noir 2010. lots of tannin.. lean fruit and smoky nose.. almost flinty

Craggy Range Tie Mona Road Pinot Noir 2008.. pretty dried fruit nose, nice depth. the finish was a little mineral too..

Hamilton Russell 2006 South Africa.. rusty color and corked

Blind tasting ( I guessed it btw ;-) ) light pinot noir coloring, smokey nose, light bodied with red berry fruit.. a pleasant wine if somewhat simple.. Simonsig Pinotage

Els Elbrecht Proprietory Red South Africa Stellenbosch.. a blend of bordeaux varietals and syrah.. full bodied and probably the most popular of the tasting

Cirrus Syrah from Ernie Els.2006,  showing rusty color and not much there over the hill.. i brought it ;-(

Delectus Cab and Delectus Muttis Pride 2006.. showing rutherford dirt.. tannic and could age a few more years and gain

Clos Apalta Chile 2008.. fruit, cedar and cassis... and lots of fruit

Neyen Espirito 2006,, buts up to Apalta and shows much more earth and terror..

Skeleton Malbec Argentina Patagonia 2010.. slight waxy nose, defintely fruity but showing more alcohol.

Two Hands Angel Share Shiraz 2009.. dark fruit nose, lots of fruit on the front but the finish was a little linear.. tight.

Two Hands Bella Gardens 2010 From bottle  fruit and spice.. tighter nose
Two Hands Bella Gardens 2010 decanted.. a savory nose of worsteshire and steak sauce.. lots of fruit on the finish.. with some interesting mocha and spice flavors on the end.

Colome Reserve 2007. a property of the Hess family. showed some alcohol on the nose and then fruit.. very dense on the palate.. a blend of malbec and cab

michael adelsheim oregon glazer D & E

Rose Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2011.. pretty wine.. strawberry and light.. soft and easy

Pinot Gris Willamette Valley 2010. no ml.. smooth

Pinot Noir 2010 Willamette Valley soft nose, long finish.. soft and lush.. very typical and good for Oregon

Elizabeth Reserve 2009.. 09 was one of the warmest on record for Oregon.. loads of flavors and long finish.. lots of guts to this wine..

Louis Dressner Selections Josefa Concannon

A portfolio of interesting European wines.. from some of the usual places and some not so much.

Domaine Luneau-Papein Pierre de la Grange 2011 Muscadet .. usually a fan but this one had something missing.. showing the mineral up front on nose but dullish on the finish.

Quinta do Infantado Duoro Organic 2008. still portugese wine made with traditional port grapes. dark color but a lighter bodied wine than was expecting. strong bing cherry on the mid finish

Domaine Bernard Baudry Chinon 2009.. again a big fan here of this region and the use of Cabernet Franc.. a french stink to it. some grit but not showing much fruit here.. want to revisit this one

Franck Peillot Bugey Mondeuse 2010... Bugey is a small region near the French Alps.. Mondeuse is the grape type in Italy known as Refosco. a little cherry and a little earthy.. maybe too tight

Franck Peiollot Bugey Montagnieu Blanc nv made with chardonnay and 2 other indigenous grapes to Bugey(boo ghee) lots of midpalate and some nice mousse..

Clos Roche Blanche Blanc Touraine 2010.. a sauv blanc unlike most sb... definitely NOT new zealand style.. and almost no herbal quality either.. not a fan

Clos Roche Blanche Rouge Touraine Cuvee Pif 2010.. named after the makers dog.. pif also means nose.. this is an interesting wine of Cot (Malbec) and Gamay. lovely nose.. cedar and dark fruits on the nose.. also a little tightly wound.

Franck-Pascal Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut Harmonie 2004. vintage Champagne from a grower. not using pesticides and such.. pretty mousse and good weight on the final sip.. biodynamic producer

wines with robert noecker and garco

Gundlach Bundschu Chard 2009  estate grown.. almost a 180 in style from past vintages.. creamy texture but much more mineral less of the oak and butterscotch.

Gun Bun Pinot Noir 2009 Sonoma Coast  loads of dried fruit.. from heritage clones and dijon clones. long weight on the palate.. very tannic.. almost too much

Gun Bun Merlot 2008.. juicy and lush.. ripe fruit.. round broad flavors. a blend with Cab and Cab Franc..

Amancaya 2010 Argentina  a Malbec Cabernet Sauvignon Blend.. showing lots of fruit and maybe due to the heat not finding a lot of acidity..

Heaven on Earth  Dessert wine from Stellar out of South Africa. dried on mats with tea.. some minerality and sweet.. probably with chenin blanc and Muscat d Alexandria.. soft viscosity.. light stone fruits... pretty and food friendly dessert wine

Ellie with Sutter Home/Glazer

Thanks for the piece of pie ellie

Angove Nine Vines Grenache/Shiraz Rose 2008... interesting to try this.. even though I would not buy it , the wine was showing amazingly well for the age

Angove Viognier 2008.. the same could not be said for this.. burnt honey.. some signs of aging Condrieu but all the bad ones unfortunately

Nine Vines Moscato 2011.. pleasant juicy and light..

Zibibbo Sparkling.. green apple with a rustic finish

Zibibbo Pink Sparkling. strawberry... not a cloying wine.. nice acidity.. much better than the original.
2007.
Angove Shiraz McClaren Vale 2007.. rusty around the edges.. lots of cedar.. and tannic.. hopefully will smooth out soon

Angove Cabernet Sauvignon Coonawarra 2007  funky, may be an off bottle.. gritty and eucalyptus gone wrong

Mark Macedonio with Quinta do Portal

featuring portugese wines
Quinta do Portal Mural Reserva 2008  a douro blend.. long finish grip. smoky aromas.

Colheita 2006 slightly brickish in color.. high alcohol nose, a bit strong on the alcohol


Reserva 2007.. plummy nose, pleasant aromatics.. spicebox nose,

2005 Late Bottled Vintage.. dark color and on oak for 6 years.. rich and luscious

10 year tawny.. tawny in color.. pretty aromas of nuts and honey.. light palate..  a little chocolate on the finish
 20 year tawny.. lighter color.. more of the almond character... soft sweetness

embarrassment of riches...pinnacle

Arindo Verdejo Reuda 2011.. soft and easy.. a little residual sugar to smooth the rougher mineral edges.. very subtle
Nisia Rueda 2011... old vine Verdejo.. showing a more mineral style.. almost sauv blanc in style.. a little gooseberry.

Charles Smith Pinot Grigio Washington 2011.. a soft lightly fruity nose, with some length on the finish from a pinot grigio.

Juntos Merlot, Alicante 2011.. from the makers of Volver... a young tinny nose, not as much of that on the palate.. but still young

DeLille with major crush

Delille out of washington state features rhone varietals

Chaleur Estate Blanc.. sauv blanc and semillon blend. barrel ages.. woodsy aromas, lime,, interesting style.. more european than new world for sure

Doyenne Aix 2008.. a blend of syrah and cab.. with the cab showing well today. a little disjointed may be going through a dumb phase.

Grand Ciel Syrah 2008 showing a lot of color and depth. but missing something in the finish for the money

Trinchero family with Ellie Kutter/Glazer

Sea Glass Riesling..minerality, acidity...light on the sweetness

Sea Glass Pinot Noir . Santa Barbara 2010 dark fruit aromas... a little stewy.. dense.. and chunky on the finish.

Folie a Deux Alexander Valley Cabernet 2009.. a new label and same wine.. love the aromas on the wine, smells like a winery.. good grit and character on the palate.. long finish... lots going on here

Menage A Trois Cabernet Sauvignon 2010.. from 3 counties..trois. very fruit forward... and not a lot of there there after that..not line priced with the others so it makes a difficult sell

Dona Paula Estate Malbec 2010.. bad bottle.. not showing corked but stewed flavors... over the top plummy... and a little port like on the finish.. will try again with a new bottle..

Four graces with Shelly Hall/Major Brands/Cellar Selections

The four graces are the 4 daughters of the winemaker. at least thats what they tell me...

Pinot Blanc 2011.. not the round style but made from Alsatian clones it is more about minerality and granny smith apple..

Pinot Gris 2011.. again with the minerality and acidity.. a little depth would make one think of lees being stirred...

Pinot Noir 2010.. Willamette Valley.. typical pretty oregon nose cranberry and some depth and length to the finish.

Pinot noir Reserve Dundee Hills 2009.. lighter color, good mouthfeel on the palate but finish is a little soft

robert noecker/garco

Clos du Nouys Sec Vouvray 2010  chenin blanc.. dry mineral.. almost dull on the finish.. there was some roundness but not very exciting.

La Ginestra Chianti 2009  meaning Thistle in italian.. some italian stink.. good mouthfeel but something seemed to be missing.. even had a slight amarone flavor.. not showing well..rated 90 by spectator

Serena Sweet red wine Piedmont 2011... made with indigenous piemonte grapes slighty fizzy.. grapey finish.. almost like some missouri varietals taste.. but enjoyable.. for the non wine wine drinker

Bricco Riella Moscato d'asti 2011.. llight and spritzy.. mousse is nice.. stone fruits.. good acidity and not a cloying finish..

craig rohner my major crush

2010 Lemelson Tikka's Run Pinot Gris ..first taste is very tart.. descriptors of wet earth and chalk seem to fit.. bright..

2010 Capture Tradition Sauvignon Blanc 2010... herbal nose.. french cat pee style. what does a french cat sound like?? Cap tour... but very expensive for the final product

2011 Trisaetum Cost Estate Dry Riesling... granny smith apples and more of the skin than the fruit... and didnt seem as acid

2011 Trisaetum Coast Range Riesling... more of the meat of the apple.. a little higher sugar less alcohol... liking the acidity on this one

Domaine de Cristia with Elaina Kroll/Bommarito

Domaine de Cristia Chateauneuf du pape Blanc 2010... very unctious. mouthfilling.. and lots of green olive and minerality hinting at future softening...it just needs a lot of time

Domaine de Christia Grenache 2011.. vin de meditieranee... stainless steel with good ripe fruit but maybe a little rough or savage around the edges..

Domaine de Cristia Cotes du Rhone VV 2010  vielle vignes  old vines.. dark color.. woodsy aroma.. juicy on the palate..almost sweet finish

Domaine de Cristia Gigondas 2010  purple in color but nnot as dense.. again with the woodsy nose, some pretty vanilla on the finish but again with the rustic finish

Domaine de Cristia Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge 2009 90% grenache 10 syrah.. lots of upfront fruit.. alittle tar and smoke.. good acidity.. more of a modern style.

Domaine de Christia Chateauneuf du Pape Renaissance 2009  ,,,much prettier nose than the other CDP. iodine and mineral and meat.. lots of perfume.. grenache with mourvedre this time.. gorgeous wine.. like drinking perfume... right up my taste alley

tenuta vitanza with guido and rosalba abdretta. classique

both a producer and importer

Cantina Roccafiore Grechetto di Todi Umbria... the second greccheto I have tried and given the two I say I like this varietal a lot. lush and round with no oak its the perfect wine for people trying to get a good wine without all the wood

Villa Giada Rose Monferrato Chiaretto 2010.. a rose from barbera and nebbiolo..  a pretty strawberry soda red without the sweetness. lush red fruit with a hint of sweetness on the finish.. pretty

Tenuta vitanza Volare Sangiovese 2009  mostly sangiovese with merlot and cab... soft and drinkable.. very good food wine.

Tenuta Vitanza Rosso di Montalcino.. 2010.. baby brunello.. all the way

Tenuta Vitanza Brunello di Montalcino 2007.. lush and ripe.. pretty wine

Tenuta Vitanza Brunello Firma 2006,, reserva wine.. more french oak new and good depth

very nice lunch at jaspers and very nice winemaking couple

Pierre/Marian bordeaux and southern france(Sud) Terra Firma

Oustric Merlot Sud du France 2010  almost candied fruit nose, with a little bit of stewed tomato.

Chateau St Genes Cuvee Sublime Merlot/Cab blend 2006 pretty fruit nose with a surprising juicy palate. but the finish was very linear and abrupt

Chateau de Paradis Cotes du Bourg 2009... 90% merlot.. dark color with just a touch of the french stink. silky tannins and good mouthfeel.. pleasant expression of the vintage

Si mon pere Savalt...if my father only knew.. Sud du France dark color in the glass. french nose.. juicy and iodiney.. very silky with the right amount of syrah..favorite of the day

Grand Corbin Manuel 2009 St Emilion  well extracted with tannin and grip. long finish.. not overly masculine but close..

italian reds with craig/crush/major

I dont know if a heat wave is a good time to try red wines.. but sometimes you have to do what you have to do.

Vestini Montepulciano d abruzzo 2008... may be a little long in the tooth. still showing some fruit.. earthy.. we have a feeling the 2010 will be shipped

Pian di Nova Toscana 2008.. syrah and sangiovese.. fruity soft and fleshy.

Il Borro Toscana 2006... dark color rich flavors definitely silky tannins.. and no sangiovese.

rose with shelly .major brands

Puech Haut Prestige 2011 rose... in a pretty frosted bottle. more of banana nose and flavor than red berry..very light in color

Chapoutier Belleruche Cotes du rhone 2011  salmon color.. rich and mouthfilling.. lush fruit.. and still nice and dry on the finish..

appellations

Parlay Longshot chardonnay 2010 viscous.. unoaked but lots of malo interesting

Ramian Red Hen Yountville toasty oak, rich and toasty  ugly label

Les tuileries Bordeaux 2009 nice tannins and just enough of the french stink that you know its old world but still good fruit up front. 65% merlot

Indian Valley 2006tannin.. lots of grip and tannin... not a wimpy wine

Parley Bookmaker 2009 Cab/Syrah dark color.. juicy and rich.. a little berry sweetness.. rough around the edges..

Ramian Res Syrah 2006 napa... silky and subtle... none of the rhone characteristics that i like.. very subtle.

sorting table with marc brice/bommarito

St Michael-Eppan Pinot Bianco 2010... bright acidity.. nice weight.. but they had me at pinot bianco..

Dauvergne Ranvier Cotes du Rhone Blanc 2011.. lightly sweet..a touch green olive.. could use some time to soften out

Dauvergne Ranvier Cotes du Rhone Rouge 2010 soft.. good fruit.. pleasant wine for the person getting used to this style of wine

Dauvergne Croze Hermitage 2009 soft for croze.. good enough fruit but not much after

Snowden Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2009  pretty cedar/cinnamon nose, silky wine soft tannins but with some heat on the end it probably could use time or food

Craig Baker of Robert Kacher with Pinnacle/berine

Pommier Petite Chablis 2007.. surprisingly sweet.. round flavors ..hints of minerality but a little old for the shelf

Domaine Erhart Pinot Gris "Im Berg" golden yellow.. sweet but subtly so. nice acidity

Domaine erhart Gewurztraminer Herrenweg 2010  also golden in color, a more subtle nose than expected for the varietal. viscous.. and a dull sweet finish

Mas Bressades Roussanne Viognier 2010 round sweet front notes but olivey and honey on the back.. long finish

Grande Cassagne Rose 2011.. soft, mineral and just the right fruit...

Brunel Grenache VDP 2010 soft easy, tar and fig and juicy on the palate.

Mas Bressades Cab/Syrah blend 2010.. lush with soft tannins and juicy. nice wine for the money

bernie with wine

Ojai Rose 2011  very light in color and flavors are light also.. the 2010 version of this was tasted last week at cellarmasters, showing a little more color and came in 5 out of 6

Bethel Heights Estate Pinot Noir 2009 Willamette lovely mushroomy and floral nose, good weight and a little hot on the finish

Revelery "The Reveler" 2009 Columbia Valley floral notes on the nose, pretty wine but a little rough around the edges as it goes down

La Salette "I Progni" Ripasso 2009 sweet nose with some earth notes, candied fruit with earthy undertones.. hints of mocha.. definitely Italian

michael/appellations

Indian Valley Cab FrancCentral Coast 2005 rough texture to start but blueberry and soft tannins on the finish.. a little cedary

GramercyCellars Lagniappe Syrah Washington 2008  meaning a little something special.. barnyard meaty nose and dark fruit and roasted meat on the finish.. pepper.. very lush

Peter Brown. Select wines with Major brands

Reds 2010 a Lodi field blend.. old vine grenache/zin etc. juicy on the palate.. but still maybe too young.. some green bell pepper on the finish. They had a great presentation before they went to screwtop where you saw pictures of things associated with red on the cork.. lucille ball, Karl Marx etc.

ZaZin lodi 2007.. dark purple in the glass and stinky feet on the nose... luckily that did not carry through on the palate.. mouthwatering acidity.. and good berry finish

Terra Rosa Malbec Argentina 2008 clay.waxy aromas.. dark fruit.. some cedar juicy but.. really another malbec

Tierra divino Old Vine Malbec 2007. dark dusty character on nose and palate.. long finish.. really liked this.. stood out from some of the other malbec i have tried lately.

RedFox Winery. Missouri Kayvon Jaberian

I have to admit that I was skeptical of the wines from Missouri, and small wineries like this will also cause for concern, but I am always willing to experiment. Some of these wines really surprised me.. all wines are non vintage.. with most being from 2009/2010

Norton ...husky sweet nose, some smoky notes on the palate.. dry for sure.. almost chunky.. a bit hot and disjointed..

Chambourcin pleasant floral nose, good juicy flavors of dark fruits.. and not as sweet fruit as I thought

Vidal Blanc dry no oak, juicy and refreshing for a hot day. good acidity

Chardonel... off flavors and aromas.. not much there

Traminette floral, semi sweet, and long strong finish

Vignoles.. cotton candy nose, a slight grapy finish... not a fan

Semi Dry White.. juicy, nice enough finish... thought it would be off the charts foxy.

Semi Dry Red fake strawberry nose and flavors.. not a fan

Rose.. light just enough sweetness.. pretty wine for the money

Sweet White... pleasnat , good acidity with a nice clean finish.

The only dog in the bunch was Chardonel and maybe the Semi Dry Red...

vina falernia with giorgio flessati/bommarito

An Italian making Chilean wines.. interesting

Falernia Pedro Ximenez 2010,, the first time I have tried this wine as a still wine... usually found in the sweetest style of sherry. very dry, crisp with a nice hint of sweetness. but finish of minerality. will be featured at the wine tasting next week.

Falernia Carmenere Reserve made from 60% dried gtapes like Amarone in Italy, tobacco and earth on the palate.. still a little green bell pepper.. interesting production though

Falernia Syrah.. black peper and spice.. good fruit ,, not a big style but good food wine.

Rudi Weist wines at Grunauer

4 wine makers from Germany came in the market today. because of the nature of the seminar I can not tell who they were but the following are the wines tasted.

Schloss Schonbrune Estate Riesling 2010.. light and refreshing

Fritz Haag Braunberger Trocken 2010 a village wine.. more on the spatlese level.. beautiful nose that turns a touch petrol. nice slatey nature that turns just a little salty..

Fritz Haag Braunberger Juffer Riesling Trocken.. 2010 single vineyard... slatey and light pineapple fruit on the front. very crisp

Pfaffenberg Scholls Schonbrun riesling... i think.. wet stone minerality.. lots of mouth watering acidity.. and nice finish

Zilliken Rausch Kabinet 2010  dry mineral mose, pretty golden color, slight fruit and a bit blunt finish

Weins Prum Grauccher Spatlese 2003.. honeysuckle notes on the nose, soft and mouthwateringly juicy.. beest of the day

Zilliken 2003 Saarberg Riesling Auslese.. sweet diesel on the nose, elderflower maybe.. long finish with just enough petrol

Haag Braunberger Juffer Riesling Auslese 2003 all diesel and a little popcorn butter on the nose,, creamy but not flabby.. green apple..again the petrol wasnt overpowering.

Paolo Saracco/ Bommarito

Having gone to lunch with Schramsberg the day before I had to miss the brunch at Coal Vines with Paolo Saracco but he was nice enough to come by the store

Saracco Monferrato Rosso DOC Pinot Nero 2008.. light rusty coloring, a slightly sweet fruit nose, a little barnyard on the back. good texture and a slightly sweet finish.. but overall not that interesting..

Saracco Moscato d: asti docg Muscato Canelli, the town where the grape first became popular. the wine was a little more cloying than expected... I was told because of the warmer vintage. pretty stone fruit on the finish.. not nearly as fizzy as some d'asti can be

Paolo tried to explain his technique and his english was workable.. he definitely has the passion for what he does

wine lunch with Fred Zammataro/ Schramsberg

Schramsberg is one of the success stories of napa valley. A young couple with small children move to Napa in the mid 60's to follow a dream and in the process make history. Taking over the dilapidated winery known as J Schram they reinvented sparkling wine for California. Nixon in China took Schramsberg due to a connect with John Erlichman and they never looked back.c

Mirabelle Brut.. non vintage chard and pinot blend.. light mouse.. pleasant

Mirabelle Brut Rose.. non vintage.. rose color comes from pinot noir that is made into still wine that they use on all their rose

2007 Blanc de Blanc ... white of white..chardonnay..

2007 Blanc de Noir white of red...90% Pinot. with 10 % chard for structure... hearty nose of dirt and mocha..

2006 Brut Rose.. favorite of the tasting... depth and character and lots of heart

2004 J Schram.. tete d cuvee.. best of the best on the best years.. light golden in color.. pretty depth of toast and mousse was soft...named for the original owner of the winery.

Alta Maria/Paul Wilkins/ Pinnacle

Alta Maria is a project in the southern central coast of california

Sauvignon Blanc 2010 grassy and sweetish on the finish.. pleasant wine but maybe too sweet

Pinot Noir 2010 a touch dirty on the nose. rough finish that is sweet and smoky

Native 9 Pinot Noir. garnet in color.. beautiful nose, unctious and structured. low yields show in the concentration of dark fruit.. long finish

Golden Barrel

Gone Fishin Riesling columbia valley 2010... sweet green apple.. ok acidity.. 2% residual sugar ok wine with an ugly label

Bauer Haus Spaten Riesling 2009 Rheingau... mouthwatering acidity.. not a sweet finish... a little mineral on the finish... but


Manzone Nebbiolo Langhe 2009  sweet perfume nose, dark cherry fruit almost medicinal and quick finish.

Manzone Barolo 2006 a hint of petrol and earth.. loads of fruit on the palate.. and long tannins.. good finish... lots going on

bernie and cynthia

Chateau St Cyrgues Rose.. Grenache and Syrah.. lighter pink color.. bitter with some dry fruit on the finish

Tarima Monastrell 2011.. a bit green on the nose, some chocolate and mocha on the rustic finish.. was hoping for better.. maybe a little time

Bedrock Sherman and Hookers Shebang Red NV (4h edition).. wine of the tasting.. juicy dark fruits.. long finish.. very tasty.. not surprised after the last few versions which were great

LaFollette was a winemaker for Flowers et.al.

Chardonnay 2010. North Coast.. mineral and creamy in that surlie aging way... not overly mouthfilling

Pinot Noir 2010 North Coast  light bodied.. with soft berry and cassis flavors..a finish of rhubarb.

private wine tasting with the purvis family and others

This session was based on Italian theme.

Scavino Carobic 1998 a little italian stink but not over the top. loads still of cherry fruit.. a little wax on the finish

Clerico single vineyard Barolo.. cedar and mint on the noe.. again loads of fruit with a lush finish

Barolo di Marchesi 1991.. served from magnum.. one of the most interesting wine noses I have encountered.. diesel and pepper.. almondy finish with some burnt rubber... didnt care for it like my fellow samplers did.

Sito Moresco Gaja 2008.. earthy nose but fruit on the palate.. Nebbiolo cab and merlot..

Summus Banfi 1999.. super tuscan with sangiovese and international grapes.. so it said on the bottle. dirty crayon again on the nose, some cab but again with the almondy finish.

Ca'Marcanda Magari 2005.. super tuscan also... showing more fruit and lush tannins.. better than the summus

Ruffino Serelle Vin Santo 2004... almond and marzapan.. thick but not overly unctious.. pretty... surprisingly light body.

Rubicon/to be named Inglenook with Erin Adams

Everything old is new again
When Coppola bought the Inglenook estate he took over a old property that had gone through some bad name branding. Coppola has taken the name Rubicon away from his high end wine and will rename it Inglenook in honor of the early estate name. This will happen with the release of the 2009 vintage.

Edizione Pennino Zinfandel 2008 named after his Grandfather who came to the US as a child from the old country. a dark color wine with dark fruit flavors.. lots of grip or texture.. a little heat on the finish but high alcohol on zin is not unusual . and not overpowering

Rubicon Estate Cask Cabernet 2008.. a slight vegetal nose on the front. 100% cab with all american oak.. the fruit comes across more on the palate... lots of tannin

Rubicon Estate Rubicon 2008.. slight vegetal/tobacco nose. lots of grippy tannins.. should soften the tannins with some age.. vanilla and cassis on the last of the finish... a big masculine monster

Bernie Lee Pinnacle wine

2010 Schug Sauvignon Blanc Sonoma Coast.. lots of aromatics.. clean finish with a nice hint of lemon on the back

2011 Domaine Lafond Lirac Blanc .. surprisingly sweet.. almost cloyingly... viscous for sure.. not a fan here

2011 Borsao Rose.. light, lumeniscent light red berry nice for summer

Hamacher Pinto Noir Oregon 2008 .. pretty inscence nose.. light on the fruit.. with some texture on the finish

Peter Franus/ Bommarito

Sauvignon Blanc Napa 2010 from the musque clone.. more round less herbacious than most california wines tend to be.

Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2007 very floral and pretty on the nose, good tannin structure and grip on the finish.. nice example

Napa Valley Red wine 2007  bordeaux blend that is not made every year. very drinkable with  a plummy finish..

Brandlin Zinfandel 2009... made from 85 year old vines on Mt Veeder.. juicy long finish.. not the overly alcoholic version... nice finesse to it.

Stolpman Vineyards with Peter Stolpman/Missouri Beverage

Stolpman is a dynamic producer in the South Central Valley of california.

Sauvignon Blanc Santa Ynez Valley... rounder than a lot of california sb.. kind of reminded me of the Musque clone from Franus... good acidity  not as herbacious

L'Avion Roussanne Santa Ynez Valley.. golden yellow in the glass.. again with round aromas and flavors.. not as green olive as expected but still think it will taste incredible in a few years

La Coppa Sangiovese 2009.. light and juicy.. definitely the american style of sangiovese... not showing much earthiness.. more about the fruit

La Cuadrilla (Vineyard block) 2010... a blend of rhone varietals that is used to teach vineyard workers how to better maintain the vineyard sites. juicy and enjoyable..

Estate Syrah Santa Ynez 2010.. dark brooding color.. juicy with good dark fruit flavors.. long finish.. I would have loved some bacon fat on the finish but it was a good drink.

Donnafugata with Silvio di Silvio.garco

Donnafugata one of Sicily's most famous wineries.

Anthilia 2010 Mouth watering and round, very pleasant alternative to Pinot grigio.. Catarato and Insolia blend

Lighea 2011..made from Zibbibo which is a version of Muscat. dry.. pretty floral nose, starts of sweet and ends on the dry side

Sedara 2008.. named for the young girl in the Donnafugata story.. soft fruitnose, and fruity but some rough edges..

Tancredi 2008.. a touch of wood and cab but mostly Nero d'avola. good tannin and a little hot on the finish

Mille e una note 2007.. 1001 nights because the story isthe thing.. 90 % Nero and the rest are heirloom grapes. good grip on the palate.. aromatics are pretty.. some dirt on the finish. very nice.
but pricey

Ben Rye 2009.. made from the dry moscat grape.. juicy and apricots. viscous.. definitely an enjoyable dessert wine. lots more acidity than a sauterne.

Seghesio with Garco

Seghesio Pinot Grigio 2011. pretty vanilla nose, with soft flavors on the palate.. more depth than italian versions.

Seghesio Sonoma Zin 2010.. briary and dark fruit..nice grip on the palate..

Seghesio Old Vine Zin 2009 jammy and rich.. lush.. hits all the right notes for zin

Seghesion Sangiovese 2009.. rustic nose, not as earthy as the italian counterpart. some heat on the palate

Montefalco Sagrantino 2007..earth and raisins.. juicy with a soft mocha finish

Shane wine/ Massandra

Shane was involved in the winemaking process for many well known world wide wines.

Shane Grenache Blanc 2011 Santa Rita? no ML and no new oak.. lean and angular but pleasant on the finish.

Rose MaFille( my daughter) 2011.. Syrah rose beautiful strawberry color but a more subtle sweetness on the fruitforward finish.

Shane The Unknown Syrah 2009.. dark in color.. roasted coffee and meaty.. pepper... lovely aromatics.. my favorite

Crush/Major Brands/Craig Rohner

a new division of major brands.crush will feature more attention paid to wines.
Patricia Green Reserve Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2010. mushroom and floral.. light textures and body

Patricia green Estate Pinot Noir Willamette Valley 2010 light bodied.. very similiar to the Reserve... some heat on the finish

Patricia Green Four Winds Pinot Noir Willamette 2010 pretty nose much like the first two.. a more aggressive wine on the mouth but the finish went quicker than expected

Spire Collection/Major Brands

Mt Brave Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2008... the old Chateau Potelle property.. proper nose with dried red berries on the finish.. good grip..

Anakota Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Dakota Vineyard 2005.. dusty nose juicy on the mid palate but a dull finish that isnt very appetizing.

LaJota Cabernet Sauvignon Napa 2009 .. winner of this little tasting.. very fruit forward with vanilla on the finish.. soft and silky tannins.. yummy by itself or would handle food too

Les Cadrans de Lassegne Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2008.. light in color and flavors.soft minerality but tasted after the Lassegue

Lassegue Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2007. french stink from start to finish. where is the fruit?? very dusty.. not my style for sure.

patz and hall/kevin hinchman/ bommarito

Patz and Hall only produces Pinot Noir and chardonnay, but they do it from several locations through out Sonoma and Napa.

Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2010... lush and toasty but not over handedly so... surprisingly light finish. made from select vineyard sights in the sonoma coast ava.

Dutton Ranch Chardonnay 2010 fermentation in barrel, from some of the oldest vines available to P & H. again slightly oaky with 100% malolactic I was expecting the butter bomb but they handled it very well.. light caramel finish.

Hyde Vineyard  Chardonnay Carneros 2009  a year older and still as vital.. fruit forward with a little softer hand on the oak at the finish

Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2010.. more dried fruit on front with a cranberry tart finish... lots of grip and substance

Hyde Vineyard Pinot Noir 2009.. a year older and darker color than the first pinot. intense fruit on the palate.. rich and meaty.. coffee and mocha finish.. could stand up to most food very well

cynthia bommarito miscellanious wines

Steele Cabernet Red Hills Lake County 2009 from a beckstoffer owned vineyard. lots of tannin, dark berry. a little harsh on the finish.

Writers Block Petite Sirah ... from the son of Jed Steele comes the Writers block wines.. the Petite is very woodsy in its aromas and lots of tannin and dark fruit.. good value

Scaia Garganega Chardonnay 2010.. blend.. sauv blanc nose and lots of acidity.. comes off much like a sauv blanc. was hoping for a different experience with the different grape composition.

george vial major brands

Terlato wine international..

Giarusso Zinfandel Dry Creek 2009.. meaty nose, more elegant expression of zinfandel.

Domaine and Terlato L Block Shiraz Pyrennes Victoria Australia 2008... aromas of vegetable soup,, and meaty.. not as much of that on the back and for the money I was a little disappointed in its overall zip

Terlato cabernet Rutherford Napa 2007.. pretty cab nose, and good juice, may be a little hot but that could calm down with some aging

Episode Napa Valley 2007.. big nose and juicy tannins ... quite good if a little pricey

Terlato Chardonnay 2007... lime and cilantro on the nose, good acidity if missing some body.

Vintas sustainable wines for earth day/ kim klein mo bev

Bodini Chardonnay 2010.. had to change from Budini because of the king of beers.. lots of minerality and acidity... lite fruit..

Bodini Malbec 2011  light green on the nose, a bit more food friendly less of a cocktail wine.

tikal natural organic malbec 2010.. earthy, slatey nose, dark color lots of fruit tannin

ben marco cabernet sauvignon 2008... maybe a little past prime.. dirty nose, lite mouthfeel..

susana balbo cabernet sauvignon 2009.. best of the bunch. pretty cedar nose, great mouthfeel and tannin for days.

small vineyards/major brands tim Freehan

Verdicchio del Castelli di Jesi Marche 2010  always liked this wine.. good weight and minerality with some honeyed character

La Quercia MOntepulciano d Abruzzo 2010 almost mistaken for a rhone.. nose of iodine and earth.. not overly so.. lots of grip on the palate.. good food wine

Sikelia Nero d'avola Sicily 2010 stainless steel.. lots of red berry fruit on nose and palate.. tasty

Tortarossa Toscana  2010 , made from 100% sangiovese. cute label takes a shot at layer cake.. the name means red cake... somewhat sweet on the palate..

Bocelli Sangiovese IGT  a little green on the nose, a little italian stink.. some nice fruit. but not really that interesting

Bocelli Prosecco soft mousse, good acidity, light white peach on the finish.. and yes it is that Bocelli

an evening in loch loyd

What an opportunity to have 10 wine people bring a wine to show off.. hopefully.
januik Cold Creek Chardonnay Washington 2008.. toasty on the finish. not quite sure onthe ML but definitely was a cross between Cali and Burgundy

2005 mondavi reserve pinot noir.. showing lots of fruit. and some dried mushroom.. surprisinly youthful

1994 Silver Oak Napa my contribution. past its prime and still showing some fruit... pencil box nose

Frank Family Napa Cabernet 2008.. dark fruit.. and tannins.. great for the cost

Mondavi Reserve cab 2008 big..

Rudd Oakville red 2005.. hot and chewy.. needs food

Episode Terlato 2006... weakest of the bunch

Cardinale 2006.. loads of fruit and tannin.. very nice

DelDotto 2001..the first bottle was corked.. second lovely fruit but not as lovely as

deldotto 2002.. loaded for bear and it was a hit.. my favorite of the night.. lush and supple

deldotto 2003... made with missouri oak and definitely showing more tightness... all three had lovely pencil box notes o wax and graphite

Jonata Sangre Syrah 2008... beautiful nose that didnt quite show on the palate.. but still pretty

2Hands Ares Australia 2007... rich luscious nose and finish... sweet fruit for sure

terra firma with marian

Image of grapes in Sauternes affected with noble rot. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)french wines today

Tranquillitie Rose 2011.. 100% grenache blanc.. beautiful salmon color.. strawberry nose and juicy fruit.. great for my rose tree


Douce Vie Cotes du Provence 2011 rose... same pretty salmon color but a little lighter in body and boring

Cuvee des Quatro Vents Blanc 2010  Cotes de Blaye de Bordeaux.. mostly sauv blanc with semillon.. surprisinly sweet but with lots of acidity.. not hardly herbal but not bad

Cuvee Quatro Rouge 2010.. a little boring.. and very green on the nose.. fruit not bad but some of the green comes through on the finish

Domaine Tranquillitie Rouge.. 2006. a touch earthy.. some juice but missing something in the middle

domaine d'oustric 2009 a blend of bordeaux and rhone grapes.. french stink on the nose .. and a little disjointed. chunky on the finish

Si mon pere savait cotes de roussillon 2007.. juicy bright fruit up front but not much after

Sauternes de ma fille 2006.. golden yellow.. but missing the traditional nose.. a little sweet.. very thick palate.. not even viscous.. it was thick.hints of some of the traditional flavors but you really have to search them out

Pinnacle Donald Shannon with Vias

Map of Valpolicella Italiano: Mappa della Valpolicella (Photo credit: Wikipedia)TerraDora dep Paolo Coda di Volpe. 2010.. tale of the fox. rich wine on the palate and great acidity with lots of verve...lots of high notes on the palate.. and not that much minerality.I really like the wines from this producer and from this part of Italy. Vesuvius and Naples

TerraDora Falanghina 2010... agin with the rich flavors.. thick like a chard without the overt sweetness

Frattoria del Cerro Vino Nobile.. may not be showing as well as it should... a little off

Bertagnoli Honey Flavored Grappa... grappa isnt my cup of tea.. the honey picks up some citrus notes but still a little like kerosene

Bertagnoli Limoncello... made from Sorrento lemons.. not as heavy as others I have experienced . definitely for lemon lovers

Bertagnoli Mirtillo Grappino.. a little grappa mixed with a berry reminiscent of blueberry... pretty

La Salette Valpolicella 2010  .. green young vine nose, which follows through on the palate

I Pragni Valpolicella Ripasso 2009.. italian stink which always reminds me of fall.. nice enough juice but not really exciting.

on friday I tasted these with bernie

Finca Nueva Spain 2009 100% Viura with Rioja designation. very rich in mouthfeel. acidity on the side of the tongue.. interesting in a good way

Rio Madre Rioja 2010.. 100% Graciano one of the grapes allowed in Rioja.. teeth staining purple and loads of extracted juice berry fruit...going to be a good one for the next wine tasting

Bossiet Family Estates/DeLoach /Mo Bev

Image of DeLoach Vineyards via Snoothdeloach was owned by cecil deloach a fireman from san francisco.. lost it with the downturn..
Deloach Chardonnay California 2009  your usual california chard.. fruity and easy drinking

DeLoach Pinot Noir California 2009 light color.. tight nose, dark fruit.. a little of a burnt finish.

DeLoach Merlot California 2009... weakest of the bunch. juicy up front but a young vine character of tinniness.

DeLoach Cabernet Sauvignon Cali 2010... full of rich bing cherry flavor. loads of upfront fruit.. almost refreshing

DeLoach Zinfandel 2007.. briary.. some fruit but a little faded.

Paul Hobbs Imports with Ian Gutierrez/Bommarito

Image of Paul Hobbs via SnoothPaul Hobbs of Sonoma fame has been involved in Argentina for a few years now.
Felino Chardonnay 2011... a little heavy handed.. strong on the palate.. lots of weight.. nothing subtle here

Felino merlot 2010 .. one of the best merlots i have tried from south america in a long time.. juicy and full bodied. good quality for the money

Felino Malbec 2010  lots of extraction in color, plummy fruit. about as good as malbec gets

Felino Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 ...again with the deep color, good body.

Bramare Cabernet Sauvigon Lujan de Cuyo 2009. pretty cedar notes.. dark concentrated  color.. lush. coffee and spice on the finish.. very pretty and attractive.

Terra Rouge Easton/Garco/ Terance Livingston

Location in the state of California (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Wineries located mostly in the non glamorous parts of the california wine country.
Easton Sauv Blanc 2009 Sierra Foothills Very herbal lots of texture, almost thick. coating the tongue.. lots of things going on here but not necessarily subtle..

Terra Rouge Enigma 2008 Sierra Foothills  ...rhone varietals in california. I have never really cared for this wine from  the earliest time I remember.. not that the wine isnt well made, I have found I do not care for these varietals young. marsanne and roussanne in particular, show for me, better with some age. very golden yellow in color viscous and a little green olive on the palate that I am sure will turn into a more honeyed character as it ages.

H House Wine Easton 2008.. cab and syrah blend. juicy and spicy, not a wimpy wine lots of color and extraction

terra Rouge Tete a Tete Sierra Foothills a grenache syrah mourvedre blend.. juicy and very fruit forward.. not subtle again. almost chunky

Terre ROuge Les Cotes de l'ouest.. my nose is happy in this wine... palate was not as much but still tasty.. again with the chunky almost meaty nature.. dark and dense.. very enjoyable for the money though

Easton Zinfandel Amador County 2009.. light garnet color, bright red fruit.. juicy and supple some pepper but not too much briar

Terra Rouge Sentinel Oak Syrah 2002..yes 2002 and it was dark and brooding..still could have rested for many years.. again the beautiful fall, barnyard nose. lots of texture on the palate.coffee and tar on the finish...

Malbec with Kevin Hodges/Kim Klein/Mo Bev

Malbec grapes on the vine in the Cafayate wine region of Argentina. This pic also demonstrates the trellising vine training used with drip irrigation system running along the bottom. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)I am looking forward to the time when I can detect more subtlety in wines of the same style and type. Today there are 6 malbec from Argentina, all are well made, some more extracted than others. There was an overriding theme on the nose of these of bright fruit, with some showing a little more earthier style

Crios 2010,, Susanna Balbo's second label.. a lovely starter wine for people looking to try a better Malbec price than Alamos. juicy and good weight

Mapema Malbec 2009... again good juice and quality.. liked the Tempranillo they did a lot

LaPosta Pizzella Family Vineyards . thatt it the most user friendly if not ultra complex.. lots of acidity. up front fruit

Mendel Mendoza lots of extraction, color and juice. lush but not as fruity.. just a little more terroir to it.

Ben marco 2009 with 8% bonarda. dark color, vanilla and loads of dark berry fruit

Luca 2009 best of the bunch. Lots of layers of flavors that take there time to open up.hits all the right notes, good acidity to it ... not showing a lot of alcohol..

craig rohner/major brands/cellar selections

This is a locator map showing Santa Barbara County in Southern California. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Cover of Fess Parker2010 Epiphany Grenache Blanc Santa Barbara County .. what i was expecting was a viscous, aromatic white wine, what came out was much more Viognier like, very sweet and tropical fruit. with a little bitterness on the finish.too sweet and not enough subtlety

2007 Epiphany Gypsy Santa Barbara.. Epiphany a label from the Fess Parker family of wines, with more emphasis on rhone varietals. this was a grenache/syrah et al blend that was highly extracted almost to the point of jammy that finished kind of clunky.

2007 Vina Eguia Reserve Rioja 2007  smells like a pencil box.. sawdust... one would almost assume it was cabernet and not tempranillo.. very extracted in a new world style.. juicy. hopefully the wood calms down in the next months.