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.