Pinnacle with craig rohner

Image of Siduri via Snooth
2009 Marenco Strev Moscato... soft sweet and pretty stone fruit lushness


2009 Cep Hopkins Ranch Sauvignon Blanc... soft mineral and just a touch sweet... not very distinguishing at all..a little bland even

Siduri Santa Lucia Highalnds Pinot Noir 2008  stinky nose which is fine.. a little green on the palate.. and just all over the place with flavors... lacking focus


Chave Mon Couer Cotes Du Rhone 2008.. soft roses and tar on the nose, not as fruit forward as last year but still delicious.

Novy's Gary Vineyard Sirah Santa Lucia Highlands 2008.. beautiful nose...took several whiffs.. lots of dried meats, roasted earth and tar.. dark berry fruit on the long finish.

Velho Barreiro Cachaca Brazil.. a rum from brazil that smells and tastes to me of Grappa from Italy.. pine tar and heat..an acquired taste.

QED wines.. sean mccord

Brander Sauv Blanc 2009 Central Coast  soft a pretty blend of grapefruit and grass... best of both new and old world

Barrel 27 Rock and a Hard Place Grenache 2007.. not the nose I usually get from this area for Grenache but very juicy..not a lot of depth but good for a pizza wine..

Cass Flying Nymph 2009  ugly label and ugly wine... tannin and green and unappealling


Opolo Mountain Zinfandel 2007.. yummy.. paso fruit at a good price.. just the right amount of briar and bramble... with a 16.6 alcohol I was expecting a really firey monster and it was just lush..

willi loth appellations

Elizabeth Rose Sauvignon Blanc 2009 .. mineral, essence of cucumber ..grassy..more of a sancerre style than new world...pretty



Waters Columbia Valley Syrah 2007... an example of bottle varietion or temprament of a taster... not as soft and juicy as I remembered it tasting when I brought it in the store.. more hot tar and tobaccoo... mineral.

Oakville Cabernet 2007  front tannin and hot on the palate.. all the disjointed characters of cali cab



Hedges Red Mountain Blend.  dark color and a pretty cedar nose.. meaty and fruity juice.. but a little discombobulated.. could use some time in the bottle 

gazzoli with ron di

Image of Apaltagua via Snooth
Bertrand Ambroise Cremant NV... sparkling wine from burgundy...Cremant sounds creamy when it should be petulant...bubbly... a soft mousse. more green apple than toasty yeasty... but fun


don Rodolfo Pinot Noir Argentina 2009... maybe this explains why there are no many inexpensive pinot noir from argentina... dark color, dark fruits on the nose but harsh and bitter tannins... quick finish

Apaltagua Carmenere Reserva Chile 2008  dark color, green bell pepper and sawdust nose, very vegetal and one note... must need food


Old Ballantruan Peated Malt interesting in that most peated scotch comes from Islay region whereas this comes from the highlands.... so when you smell it, there is that smell of iodine without the sea salt... and the inside is soft and round... touch of honey.. not hot on the palate... 

wine with robert noecker

Image via Wikipedia
It is always fun to try new wines.... new varietal. I can not begin to tell how many chards and sauv blancs i have tried over the years. Today I got to try two new (to me) grape types


Arnoldo-Caprai Greante 2008 Grechetto is the grape type from this region of italy which I could not ascertain. Slightly sweet nose that reminds one of Torrontes.. but more lush and yet a hint of minerality and lime on the finish.. very good and not overly expensive

Ben Rye Donnafugata non vintage I think.. golden brown the color of deep bourbon. made from the Zibibbo grape. done in the passito style or restive style.. dates and figs and almonds... very lush caramel. perfect for stinky cheeses... a little burnt honey, creme brulee on the finish... expensive but very good

Opici wine with Matt Sharpe/ Gazzoli

Domenico de Bertiol Prosecco first taste is of medicinal petrol.. but finish nice and cleanly..

DeMartino Legado Reserva Chardonnay Chile the ML comes through on the palate.. almost to the exclusion of the fruit. and yet there is a soft uneventful finish

Umberto Cesari Moma Rubicone dark sweet fruit...lush with a cinnamon finish.interesting style of Sangiovese clone.

Rizzi Barbera d'Alba 2007 fruit, red berry soft.. uneventful

Cesari Amarone Classico  dirty, earthy and not at all raisony porty that some people like. soft tannin, more of a feminine style.. food friendly

Luiano Sangiovese 2009 smells of bologne and dried meats... which carries through to the palate... a little offputting

Terlato Wines major brands

Bollinger Special Cuvee Champagne NV  LOTS of toasty, yeastiness. strong firm mousse.. made with 60% Chard

Tangley Oaks Merlot 2007... boring.. somewhat juicy and a little over the hill

Mazzoni Rosso Toscana 2007 12 months in oak barrel and needing a little me time... to settle down.. tannins are fine but showing the Italian stink


Pieve Santa Restituta Brunello de Montalcino Toscana 2005 wow  what a beautiful nose of saddle leather and roses and earth. great grip and acidity. and yet a soft elegant finish.

Ca,Marcanda Magari Toscana 2006... showing the nature of terroir this has the stink of an Italian Sangiovese but none in it... lots of dirt and not a lot of fruit.. hot on the finish.