Cabernet Sauvignon
Ripe cherry, plum and cedar all play different roles on this one, creating a wine that’s too off balance. Add to that a hot finish and I think I’ll pass on this one the next time around. Unfortunate, though, because I do think Quivira is putting out some decent wines, just not this one. My rating: 83 (NOTE: this bottle sent to me as a sample from the winery).
2006 Faust Cabernet Sauvignon
First had this wine at the Wine Bloggers Conference in Napa Valley last year. Good Cab with ripe red and black fruit and strong front palate. But, starts to fade mid-palate and finishes short for me. One dimensional, easy drinking wine that’s worth trying, but falls short of many of its $50+ competitors. Rating: 87
2007 Domaine Drouhin Oregon Pinot Noir
Decent enough Pinot Noir with cherry, orange and floral notes, but this wine was too hot for me and I expected more from Domaine Drouhin. It also lacked a basic structure and finish. Won’t be buying this again. Rating: 84
2005 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon
I just went through all the CellarTracker notes on this wine and, since they’re pretty mixed, I think the bottom line is this – if you do not like big California Cabernet Sauvignon, this is not the wine for you. Plain and simple. Don’t spend the $55 or the $100+ at a restaurant. You will not be happy. But, if you do like California Cabs, Groth always delivers. Strong cherry, dark berry fruits and earthy undertones – it’s big, it’s lush and it’s fruity. I’m a big fan of the Groth offerings. Rating: 91
2007 Quivira Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley
Fruity and tart, with some distinctive Dry Creek Valley dryness and minerality. This is not a big, ripe. lush Zinfandel, so if that’s your taste, this probably isn’t for you. But, i liked it. the acidity brought some good life to it and i can easily imagine it paired with a nice greasy burger or pizza. My rating: 87 (NOTE: this bottle sent to me as a sample from the winery).
2006 Papapietro Perry Pinot Noir Russian River Valley
I had this wine at a restaurant on the strong recommendation of both the waiter and the sommelier and I was stunned by it – one of the better new Pinot Noirs I’ve had in a while. Good red fruit, floral and spice notes, with an incredibly lush and silky balance. Well priced at $45, but very small lots, so not easy to find. My rating: 92
2007 Soda Canyon Cellars Barrel Chaser
Made by Dave Phinney of Oren Swift and Prisoner fame, this one is an easy, smooth drinker, which is a bit of a shock at 15.9% alcohol. Good complexity with cherry, anise, chocolate and espresso. Not a huge finish, but just long enough to savor it. If you’re a fan of the Prisoner, you will like this wine…although I’m not sure why Barrel Chaser is more expensive – I think I’d be willing to pay more for the Prisoner than I would the barrel chaser. My rating: 90
All tasting notes first published on Cellar Tracker
Continue reading about Wine tasting notes for a week gone by…
2005 Royal Tokaji Wine Co. Tokaji Aszu 5 Puttonyos Red Label
This is my first experience with Royal Tokaji, although I’ve heard a lot about the producer over the years. This is all caramel apple rolled in nuts, with some pear, toffee and minerals. Not too sweet, which is very much to my liking (I’m not a big ruby port fan because it’s generally too sweet for me, although I am a huge tawny port fan) and an incredible balance of flavors. Still finishing for me as I write this. I gotta be honest, this one knocked my socks off and I can feel it down to my toes…I do believe I’ve found my new dessert wine. My rating: 93
2007 Luna Vineyards Sangiovese
Cherry, plum, menthol and heat on the nose…big fruit and hot diluted finish on the palate…not my favorite of the Luna Vineyards wines. I’ve just recently tasted the Merlot and the Pinot Grigio from Luna and I much prefer the Merlot to this Sangiovese. My rating: 85
2007 Mark Ryan Viognier (USA, Washington, Columbia Valley)
Easy drinker, good lemon and citrus, but with enough non-oakey richness to make it satisfying and mouth filling. Mid-$20’s is a bit much for a viognier, but it’s a good white and I’ll probably buy some more to have on hand. My rating: 87
Very well balanced and big wine from Gorman. Blackberry, green garden and soy sauce on the nose (sounds odd, but it’s a good nose), with ripe blackberry and cherry, pomegranate and spice. BIG wine, with lots of ripe, juicy fruit and a broad palate, with a strong, lingering finish. This is a good wine and a good representation of the fantasBtic wines coming from Chris Gorman right now. My rating: 92
All tasting notes first published on Cellar Tracker
Continue reading about Wine tasting notes from a week gone by…
| 2006 Abeja Cabernet Sauvignon Columbia Valley | |||
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This is way bigger than i thought it would be – reminded more of a California cab than a Washington cab. big fruit, big oak and a bit hot on the finish. decent fruit and a huge mouthful, but has a pithy, somewhat bitter finish. lush tannins and I’m going to try this again tomorrow night to see if it opens up any more. 2nd day follow-up: not much change. My rating: 88 |
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| 2007 Cadence Cabernet Sauvignon Camerata Cara Mia Vineyard | |||
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My first experience with Cadence, but have been wanting to try their wines for a while. This one did not disappoint – a very well balanced Cab from WA, with notes of blackberry, blueberry, espresso and dark chocolate. A huge mouthful, including a lingering finish and enough acid to cut through some of the lush ripe fruit. Still feels young, even after having decanted it for three hours. The disappointing part of this wine is the price – at $55, this is too expensive. At $30, I probably would have given it a 90, but this wine is just too expensive in my opinion. My rating: 88 |
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| N.V. Bortolomiol Prosecco Valdobbiadene Brut | |||
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I’m a huge fan of Prosecco and this is one of the better ones I’ve tasted. Some good lemon citrus and pith and the nose with an added dryness and minerality that makes this an easy drinker and interesting at the same time. My rating: 88 |
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| 2007 Schild Estate Shiraz Barossa Valley | |||
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Cherry chocolate tobacco rolls, with a hint of herb and sage on the finish. Big fruit on the palate with an even delivery throughout the palate. Really liked this one and I’m not typically a fan of Shiraz. #43 on Wine Spectator’s 2009 Top 100. My rating: 89 |
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| 2007 Santini Wines Trentatre Salento IGT | ||||
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Blackberry and dark cherry (ripe), with oak, vanilla and powdered cocoa. This wine is a mouthful, with a broad distribution on the palate and a decent, but hot, finish. more acidity than would be expected in this blend, which helped cut through the lasagna we had with it. Overall, a very nice wine for $6. 33% Montepulciano, 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, this one was an interesting combo of elements, One i haven’t seen before, but I was longing for more of the Montepulciano to come through. My rating: 86 |
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| 2006 Luna Vineyards Merlot | |||
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This is a cherry covered chocolate – big fruit, chocolate on the finish with a nice stretch of very mild leather and darker fruits, like blackberry. I haven’t had a Merlot in a while, so it was nice to see dive into one again. Tight at first, hot on the finish, but after a 2nd glass, decanted for 15 minutes, it really opened up and became a more broad wine on the palate. Some nice acidity, which adds to the balance. Overall, very pleased with this wine. [note: this bottle was sent to me as a sample] My rating: 89 |
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| 2007 Luna Vineyards Pinot Grigio | |||
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A nice citrusy, minerally, easy drinker. In fact, I was surprised by how much i did actually like it. I think I would like it even more on a hot summer day, out on the back deck. [note: provided to me as a free sample] My rating: 86 |
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| 2006 Justin Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon |
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Well, here’s another case of not agreeing with wine spectator who gave this wine a 79. 79? Median of 88 from CellarTracker tasters, with only one coming in at 80 [from a user called duckyfufu], who sounds like he might have had a corked bottle. I liked this one, as did my wife and her mom and dad, who generally don’t drink Cabernet Sauvignon. for me, cherries, dark chocolate, vanilla and anise seed. Surprisingly prominent acidity, that helps cut through the palate, with a very nice, long finish. Just a tad hot. This is a nice $20 Cabernet from Paso Robles, from a very trusted producer. My rating: 89 |
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| 2007 Odfjell Carménère Armador | |||
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Been trying a lot of Carmeneres lately and this is the one I’ve been looking for. All the smokey, peppery characteristics of Carmenere, but also the most balanced and easy drinking of the dozen it so I’ve tried. blackberry, plum, tobacco, smoke, white pepper. Very nice acidity. If you haven’t tried Carmenere, this is a great one to start with. My rating: 89 [sent to me as a sample from Wines of Chile] |
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All tasting notes first published on Cellar Tracker!
Continue reading about Wine tasting notes from a week gone by…
For those of you who don’t have access to, don’t care about or don’t even know what Twitter is, I’ve compiled my tasting notes from the last few weeks. Enjoy! Would love to hear if you have had any of these and, if so, what you think.- 2006 andrew will ciel du cheval vineyard red mountain – stunning…dark cherry, meaty, spicy, well balanced with a HUGE finish…
- 2008 poet’s leap riesling – a stunningly complex riesling, with just enough sweetness and a monstrous finish. best riesling I’ve had in ‘09.
- ‘07 quivira wine creek ranch petite sirah – the color of squid ink, but from a squid that grew up in a barnyard. big, bold and chewy.
- drinking ‘06 spring valley walla walla uriah-currant cigar goodness, w/ a dash of powdered cocoa. a bit tight, but still my wine of the week
- charles smith’s 2006 the honorable cabernet sauvignon. $15 & drinks like a big, fat $30 CA cab. definitely on my list to get more, but oakey
- turns out the 2004 la loggia barolo from trader joe’s is better on the 2nd night. very nice barolo for under $20, good qpr
- picked up a 2004 la loggia barolo at trader joe’s. barolo under $20? crazy. extremely tight, but will make a final judgement tomorrow night
- had pride mountain vineyards 2006 cab franc last night at a holiday party – a rich, dark tobacco cannoli, dipped in dark chocolate…yum
- 2002 chateau villhardy. tart cherry, chalky chocolate coffee. solid grand cru, but would like a little more finish http://yfrog.com/37424ij
- 2008 layer cake malbec – dark berry fruit, pepper and spice…but like a great first date that’s great because there won’t be a second date
2006 Poggio Mandorlo Ombre Rosso di Toscana 
One of the red wines from our trip to Italy and, arguably, one of the best we had there. Found it in an amazing wine shop n Volterra, an ancient walled city in Tuscany, called Enoteca Scali. 4,000 cases made of this wine and I’ve been trying to find it ever since we got back. Very dark cherry and tart plum, with notes of coffee, spices and earthy must. This is a lush wine – a bit tight when I tasted it, but balanced and full enough that it should be an amazing wine in about 3 – 5 years.
My rating: 92
2005 Long Shadows “Pedestal” Merlot Columbia Valley
Have been a big fan of the Long Shadows wines for some time now and this one lived up to the expectation. A recommendation from a good, very trusted wine friend, I was actually more entranced by this wine than I thought I would be. Huge nose, with dark cherries, plum and mocha, followed by some mellow Christmas spice notes (cinnamon, nutmeg, clove). Tannins are a little chalky still, but will mellow over time and I’m glad I have a few more in the cellar so I can taste it when it does.
My rating: 92
2006 Long Shadows Chester Kidder
Another in the Long Shadows line-up. If you remember, I reviewed the 2004 Chester Kidder when I was in Portland over the summer (Long Shadows ChesterKidder) and really enjoyed it, giving a 92+ rating. The 2006 didn’t fall too far from that tree. On the nose, it’s dark cherry, chocolate, espresso, smoke and roasted nuts – a much more complex nose than the 2004. But, it is still very young. When I opened it, it took about 45 minutes to come into its own, with a very tight and bitter start. But, it did open up and delivered good fruit and acidity, with just the right amount of toast and nuttiness. The thing I found amazing about this wine is that, even at 14.9% alcohol, it had zero heat. None at all. Will be a beautiful wine 5 – 7 years down the road.
My rating: 91
Price: $4.99 @ Trader Joe’s
What They Said:
Not a word, some mumbo jumbo that had nothing to do with the wine on the bottle. A google search turned up a phone number, a call to the number led to Fior di Sole which is a premium bulk wine supplier in Napa Valley who “separates itself [...]
And what a wine to start back with…the 2007 Caymus Vineyards Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s odd having lived in San Francisco for 4 years, but I’ve never tasted Caymus wine. A friend gave my wife and I a bottle of the 2000 Reserve Cabernet and we have yet to open it, saving it for a special occasion somewhere down the road. I’ve always heard good things and have wanted to try it, but somehow it just fell further down on my list than some others.
The good news is that this wine definitely delivers on what I’ve heard. It’s a big, aromatic California Cabernet, with so many interesting elements. Over a period of about 15 minutes I picked up blackberry, chocolate, coffee, dark cherry, paprika and herbs on the nose. So many good things, it’s hard to list them all. In the mouth, it’s just as extravagant, but without as many spice and herb notes, mostly cherry, plum, dark berries and espresso. It’s a 15% alcohol wine, but, even at that high level, it’s an incredibly well balanced wine with very firm tannins, mild but good acidity and an incredibly long finish. Definitely still a little young, but deserving of the Caymus name. This is a fabulous wine and should have the stamina to peak at about 5 – 7 years…just decant it if you want to enjoy it now.
Wine Spectator has this to say about it: Ripe and fleshy, with rich plum, wild berry, spice and savory herb notes that are complex, full-bodied and expansive on the palate, ending with firm tannins and a dash of espresso. Drink now through 2016.
Gary Vaynerchuk also just recently had the 2007 Caymus on his show at Wine Library TV Episode #749. Gary’s dad is on the video as well, which always turns up some funny moments.
What you should do: Buy it. This juice isn’t cheap at about $60 a bottle, but that’s what you can expect from Caymus at this point. What I will say is that Caymus is a very trusted name and if you’re going to drop that kind of money on a bottle of wine, then this is one of the most tried and true brands in California.
My rating: 93, between Wine Spectator and Gary and his dad.
Continue reading about Caymus Vineyards 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
I’m not always sure what to make of Charles Smith, the winemaker at K Vintners in Walla Walla, Washington. If I taste his wines on their own, most of them are quite good. He’s a pioneer in Washington wines and definitely has played his part in getting Washington recognized around the world as a leading producer of wines (he just recently received 100 points for his 2006 Royal City Syrah). He’s also one of the most passionate winemakers I’ve seen in a long time. All that comes together to make the K offering one of the most intriguing in the Northwest.
But, he also feels a little scattered to me. I find myself confused by how many offerings he has (18 current releases for K Vineyards and 11 current releases for Charles Smith Wines) and what I really should be trying of his wines. I have a fair amount in my cellar, from The Creator to The Boy to K-Syrah to Boom Boom Syrah. But, to be honest, I limit my purchasing because I just don’t know enough about those that are true stars in his collection and those that are mere wines.
Wine Spectator thinks that The Creator is one of his stars, giving it a rating of 91. They say this about it: Dark and chewy, this is dense with blackberry, currant and tar flavors, glowing and pulsing against a layer of smoky tannins. Shows a lot of life. Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Best from 2011 through 2018. 365 cases made.
For me, I get the blackberry, both on the nose and in the mouth, but on the nose I also pick up a lot of black pepper and some red meat. The blackberry exploded in my mouth, along with plum and currant. This is a big, fruity wine. Well balanced, with surprisingly good acidity, but a little hot on the finish. I really like the blend with 67% Cabernet Sauvignon (En Cerise) and 33% Syrah (Morrison Lane) – Charles definitely captures the distinct elements of both and I’m on a huge Washington Syrah kick right now. For me, hands down, the best Syrah’s in the world.
What you should do: Buy it! This is a great wine from K Vintners and representative of both Washington wines and Charles Smiths wines.
My rating: 90
As for Charles himself, I’ve included a link to Charles Smith on YouTube – an interview done by Winefoot.com. Enjoy! Would love to know what you think.
Continue reading about Charles Smith and K Vintners The Creator 2006
This, the final installment of the Owen Roe Winery series, will feature two wines – Sharecroppers Cabernet Sauvignon and Abbott’s Table (thanks to Jason and Jeff for pushing me to include these). Overall, a great tasting of the Owen Roe wines, with 7 of the 8 wines tasted making it on to my “buy again” list (unfortunately, the 2007 Owen Roe Pinot Noir Eola – Amity Hills will not be making it back to my dinner table). Bottom line is that Owen Roe Winery is making some very nice wines that you should definitely try if you have not done so already.
On to the wines for this bonus round…
Owen Roe 2007 Sharecropper’s Columbia Valley Cabernet Sauvignon
The Northwest-wine.com website has this to say about it: 
Owen Roe Sharecroppers Cabernet 07 has smoky blackberry and dark cherry aromas that leap out, signaling the showiness of this young Cabernet. Packed with juicy black fruit flavors–especially cassis–this is a big mouthful of Cab, with dried herbs and earth on the slightly chewy finish. David O’Reilly strikes again: great value, great wine.
100% Cabernet Sauvignon, David O’reilly describes this as a very concentrated wine with flavors of cassis, blackberry, and a hint of juniper. The yield was down for the 2006 vintage, meaning less wine, but a more concentrated wine. Made from Elerding and Alderdale Vineyards in the Yalkima Valley, there’s also a bit of Red Willow Vineyard fruit in the wine. The wine is ready to drink, and David says: “It will blow you away”.
I had never actually had this Owen Roe wine before. Getting so stuck in Ex Umbris and Abbott’s Table over the years, I think this one had fallen off my radar. In the end, though, I only liked it, but didn’t love it. It’s a nice effort, with good dark berry fruit and a decent balance, but it didn’t “blow me away” as David suggests. For under $20, it’s a nice Washington Cabernet to have on hand, but, for me it’s just not that memorable.
What you should do: Put it at the bottom of your Owen Roe wine list and if you happen to see the Sharecroppers Pinot Noir, buy that instead.
My rating: 85
Northwest-wine.com has this to say about it: Owen Roe Abbot’s Table 2008 – Abbot’s Table 2008 is the perfect example of a “smooth” wine. Velvety, lush, round flavors glide over your taste buds. The Zinfandel and Sangiovese provide the backbone and show in the lingering finish of sweets plums, raspberries and cherries.
More than a third of the 08 Abbot’s is Bordeaux varietals – the deep cassis and black cherry flavors are a perfect complement to the fresh, bright red fruits. There’s a meaty complexity to the finish that adds even more character to an already outstanding value table wine.
Upon release, the 2008 is better than the 2007 and just might be the best Abbot’s Table yet.
What you should do: Buy it! This is a great sub-$20 bottle of wine. I have a few more in my cellar and will definitely buy others when those run out.
My rating: 88
