Pinnacle wines with bernie

Punkt Genau Blanc Austria..NV a sparkling gruner veltliner.. a first for me... very spritzy if not bubbly... interesting flavors.. not any different flavors than a still gruner... interesting...very interesting

Weins-Prum Feinherb Mosel 2009  soft and mineral.. not sweet but not dry.. a partially sweet wine by definition. seems to be also lost beween two worlds

Van Duzer Pinot Noir Estate 2008... tight nose and dark berries.. not giving off a lot at the moment

Blau 2009.. wine winner of the day. dark berry fruit.. great value.. the finish was the weak link here but for the money a good find.

Mitolo G.A.M. Shiraz McLaren Vale Australia 2007.. nice fruit but not nearly complex as the price point shows.. may be in a dumb phase..

Kobrand with major brands

Image of Wild Rock Wine Company via SnoothInfamous Goose Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough NZ 2010  maybe a softer version of the usual but all in all the same as the usual. grapefruit on the front and lime and acid on the back.. nice finish thoug.h

Cakebread Chardonnay Napa 2010.. creamy and rich but not the oak or butter bomb that I was expecting.. maybe should have had this before the sauv blanc.. hard to really get past all the grapefruit acidity of the first wine

Wild rock Pinot Noir Central otago New Zealand 2009.. wild berry with lots going on in the mid palate... lighter style of Pinot a good food wine

Michele Chiarlo Barbera d'Asti DOC 2009 pretty garnet red.. slight italian stink.. a good juicy intro into the world of barbera. spectator raved.

Sequoia Grove Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 Napa dark color in the glass and lots of cedar and pencil lead aromas.. some vanilla and tobacco flavors.. tea like tannins.. long cedar finish... maybe be too young

Clayhouse Malbec 2009 Paso Robles. good tannin and fruit... people not expecting malbec from usa.. but there is a lot grown in california as its one of the accepted bordeaux or meritage grapes.

MacRostie with Ryan McGenera/Bommarito

Sonoma vineyard (Photo credit: Nelson Minar)MacRostie an old school winery in carneros region of Sonoma now uses Sonoma Coast as a designation.
the label was once a tartan plaid to showcase macrostie scotch heritage.. now it has a Scotish Thistle.

Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 2009... creamy and loaded with ML. trying for more of a lemon lime component and less of the tropical fruit that cali can give. very tasty

Wildcat Mountain Vineyard Sonoma Coast 2007.. made from the home ranch it is a big brother to the Sonoma Coast.. lots of mouthfeel and fruit... mid palate strength. pretty toasty nose

Sonoma Coast Pinot noir 2008 soft and yummy.. a nice blend of the old and new world styles.. lots of guts for a light wine.

Wildcat Mountain Pinot Noir 2009 a more masculine wine.. lots of body and acidity.. a little heat on the finish from higher alcohol.. the least subtle of his wines

Opici wines with Matt Sharpe/ David Smith Major Brands

Image via WikipediaDinastia Vivanco Rioja Spain 2010 dull on the palate.. almost like the first taste of the aspirin.. trying to show a little fruit but not much

Altadonna Nero d'Avola Sicily 2009 purple color.. interesting depth and flavors .. too new world though.. no oak but some good fruit tannin

Cesari Mara Ripossa Veneto 2009.. a poor mans amarone.. nice weight.. good viscosity.. and supple fruit on the palate.. traditional italian nose

Dogajolo Tuscany 2010 a touch earthy and tannic but for the money a good inexpensive super tuscan

Carpineto Chianti Classico DOCG 2006 pretty in structure and style.. not typical in earthy quality but a good new and old style blend

justin wines

Justin sauvignon blanc 2010 Paso robles.. very astringent and bold.. not for the faint of heart

Savant Paso Robles 2009 a blend of Cab and Syrah  dark in color but not so much in the flavors.. some coffee and black pepper but missing  a little structure.

Isosceles Paso Robles 2008.. dark extracted color.. gorgeous fruit on the palate.. good tannins and just enough oak.. a little hot on the palate though

Justin Cabernet Sauvignon Paso Robles 2009 oaky, dark berry fruits but not a lot of Umphhh.. good food wine.

erin adams .glazers midwest miscellanious

Pascal Jolivet Attitude Sauv Blanc Loire 2009  lots going on.. mineral and slate on the nose with a creamy finish from stirring on the lees..no oak used.. fleshy fruit and nice finish

Henry Fessy Morgon 2009  gamay nose of cotton candy and sweet fruit with a nice follow through on the palate not as sweet as nose would tell.. good acidity too

Vina Zaco Tempranillo Rioja Spain 2008 nose on the earthy dirty side.. some fruit but mostly uninspiring,,

Santi Montedoro Moscato Italy 2010 floral, and not overtly sweet.. pretty and light bodied without being cloying and one note.. moscato is the varietal of the moment.

Pinnacle with Cristian Maddalena from Schiopetto and Sandrone

Schiopetto Friuliano Collio2009 earthy mineral.. some creamy character from the lees but overall a little too restrained

Schiopetto Pinot Bianco 2009. what a wonderful white wine this is.. soft and user friendly. creamy and still some acidity too.. will be promoting this wine wish it was a little less expensive but a good wine nonetheless

Sandrone Barbera 2009 good fruit and mouthfeel. pretty wine.. elegant and lovely.. lots of lush fruit and no italian stink

Sandrone Dolcetto 2010.. one of my first loves.. I see why. a very user friendly wine. almost beaujolais in style. a little stemmy. but bright red fruits after the initial tin metal.. usually a sign of youth or young vines.

Nebbiolo D'alba 2009 a touch rusty color and a little rusty on the nose. almost pinot noir in style in the ethereal.lots of glycerin. dark cherry... really a fun wine. also a little pricey

Sandrone Barolo Le Vigne 2007 lots of front fruit tannin. tight nose but opens up with some good fruit and lots of structure..very expensive but really a good wine for the money.. made from two vineyard sites

marian with terra firma

Bandwagon Monterey 2010 light no ml.. stainless steel fermentation.. maybe better in the summertime than cold of winter.

Bandwagon Pinot Noir Monterey 2010.. candied apples and lots of the.. soft and unexceptional

Miro Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 Alexander valley Sonoma. dark purple in the glass with cinnamon, dill and vanilla on the nose. tastes like a winery smells.. tobacco leaf and red fruit.. need food I think to show off better.

Morande Chilean wines/ Bruce Stewart/ Golden Barrel

Morande Pionero Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 verg in character. but that is a given for some chilean reds. a good cab for the money but still could use food with it.. not a cocktail wine.

Morande Pionero Chardonnay 2010.. did not like at all.. too sweet too spritzy.. no ml.. no flavor really

Morande Pionero Sauv Blanc 2010 soft, green vegetal.. a little acidity but pretty uninspiring

Morande Reserva Carmenere 2008.. the winner of the bunch.pretty rose and earthy nose. round flavors with a little green olive thrown in. steak sauce finish.. interesting see it at the next big tasting I am sure

Morande Reserva Pinot Noir 2009  more Co2 like the chardonnay.. more green veggie notes.. with some red berry on the finish.. very light in color

 Morande Reserva Sauv Blanc 2010 lush and full bodied.. starts green but turns more herbal.. much better than the entry level but still a hard sell

Gran Reserva 2009.. lots of good fruit but really missing something that would make it worth the $3 more than the reserva.

cynthia bommarito miscellanious wines

Image of Martinelli Winery via SnoothDomaine Roland Lavantureux Chablis 2009..  all about the chalk soil and sea beds.. lots of minerality... not as much acidity as would be there but showing pretty fleshy fruit.


Martinelli Chardonnay Sonoma three sisters vineyard 2007.. the polar opposite of the Chablis.. all about being hit on the head with oak.. and even then its not well integrated.. i love the last taste of oak with caramel and coffee.. this was stingy on that.


Martinelli Pinot Noir Bondi Home Ranch 2007.. not for the shy or delicate.. this wine is fruit heavy and dense... high concentration.. and then after a few minutes . i liked it... let it settle down and got used to the higher alcohol and fruit.. MUCH better than the Chardonnay.

Wine of the day.. Alma Negra Argentina 2010.. a blend of bonarda/malbec and cab franc.. something about this combo works very well. definitely new world wine. with lots of dark and beautiful fruit. sweet succulent fruit.. long finish.. a sample of vanilla from the oak.  pretty.. hopefully will be at the next wine tasting.

craig rohner with nils johnson spires collection major brands

Mt Brave Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder 2008 100% Cabernet.. soft mocha on the front.. loads of fruit tannin that gives way to good solid fruit.. long finish.

Chateau Les Cadrans de Lassegue Saint Emillon Grand Cru 2008  surprisingly sweet nose.. soft tannins and soft body.. could use a little more body and depth

Lassegue Grand Cru 2006. would almost guess this for a rhone wine.. iodine nose a touch of french stink. hoping for more structure to it..but lots of good fruit

Chateau Vignot Saint Emilon Grand Cru 2006 a bit of french stink.. a bit of heat from alcohol... another wine that seemed to be missing some depth on the middle.

Anakota Knight Valley Helena Montana 2008.. not a subtle wine.. lots of cassis and cocoa.. rich on the palate.. long pretty finish

cynthia bommarito miscellanious wines

These are wines that were in the Pinnacle portfolio and at one time with Jorge Ordonez

Nora Peitan Albarino Rias Baixas 2010.. usually an albarino fan.. this was unusually sweet on the front palate.. more like a zippy sauv blanc than the round albarino's i am used to

Las Brisas Rueda Spain 2010  almost bitter.. fruit not showing well on the palate... I have liked this bottling in the past.. may be a bad bottle

Sila Mencia Monterriei 2009 Mencia is thought to be either Cab Franc or a kissing cousin.dark earthy nose  and dark purple in the glass.. it starts to give me the fruit and finish that i like from this area but it just doesnt turn the corner.. one dimensional. lots of tannin

Mano a Mano Tempranillo La Mancha 2009.. dark in color.. rich on the palate.. a little one note also but at least it is a good note.. for the money a winner every time

terra firma with marian

Apostoli Pinot Grigio italy 2010.. upfront fruit. clean.. another pinot grigio.. nothing too inspiring

Villa Puccini Pinot Grigio Italy 2008.. a little golden in color.. a little heavier in style.. has some oak to it.. rounder but I will wait to try the 2009 when it comes

Butternut Chardonnay 2010  lots of oak.. too much oak.. caramel and surprisingly crisp finish.. but long on the oak

Altos Nevados Malbec Argentina 2008 cinnamon nose, lots of tannin and cedar.. dark cherry but not a shy wine.. needs to be a little more balanced.

from Classique
Ransom Pinot Noir 2009.. not the typical earthy wine from oregon.. nice fruit.. more like a cali pinot.. long silky finish.. pretty nice.