Italy
2004 Azienda Agricola Vignalta Colli Euganei Gemola I’m actually quite surprised that this note is the first tasting note on CellarTracker – this is a very nice wine. Ripe dark fruit, tobacco and milk chocolate, with a decent finish, but narrow mid-palate. 70% Merlot / 30% Cabernet Franc gives it the lush qualities of a Merlot, with the intensity of a Cab Franc. Very nice and well balanced combination. The only downside is that we had it paired with Osso Buco and there wasn’t enough acidity to cut through the richness of the meal – for me, this is a wine best enjoyed on its own. My rating: 91
2006 Zenato Valpolicella Superiore Ripassa
Plum, Cherries, Dr. Pepper, vanilla and stone. Quite nice, but wanted a little more acidity as it drank just a tad rich for my taste. Good balance and a mid-length finish. Felt a little pricey to me at $30, so not sure I would buy again. My rating: 88
1998 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Unfiltered Reserve Napa Valley
Haven’t had a Mondavi in a very long time and then picked up a case through the Constellation Brands Friends and Family at a great discount – so glad I did. But, it was a risk. The 2008 CA Cab vintage was rated as the lowest, at an 84, in the last 25 years. The best I can say is that somehow this wine snuck through and has aged nicely. Dark cherry, blood orange, vanilla and herbs, with a good up-front, mellow mid-palate, then a nice lingering finish. The tannins have settled down considerably on this, but, even at 12 years old, it still could stand some time to get better. Wine Spectator gave this an 87 at time of release. My rating: 91
2008 Allegrini Valpolicella
Picked this up as a bottle to use in an Osso Buco recipe and held a little aside for the cook. Tart cherries, pomegranate, herbs and earth, with really high acidity – should pair pretty well with the meat. My rating: 87
2007 Sea Smoke Pinot Noir Ten
This is the lowest score I’ve given a Sea Smoke Pinot. Not too low at a 90, but there’s something missing for me about Sea Smoke the last few vintages. I don’t know if it’s the new(er) winemaker or what, but Sea Smoke used to blow me away…incredible tasting experiences with particularly the Botellas and Tens (not as big a fan of the Southings). So, relatively speaking the 2007 Ten is not my favorite relative to other Sea Smokes. But, against other Pinot Noir, this is still very nice. A bit young and rambunctious still, but a nice blend of dark cherries, lavender and blood orange with a hint of smoke. Incredible acidity on this wine, especially for a California Pinot Noir. My rating: 90
2008 Vinos de Terrunos Navarra Siete 7 Medium bodied wine with lots of red, tart fruit, dusty earth and barnyard – sort of a musty hay smell. Fun to experiment with, but not something I would buy again. My rating: 84
2007 Winzer Krems Grüner Veltliner Sandgrube 13
Very solid Grüner for $7. Green fruit, very dry, good acidity. I bought a case because of the price and I will be drinking more of this when the sun is out, I have the wine in a cooler full of ice (this one’s best very cold) and shellfish steaming on the grill… My rating: 86
2007 Cayuse Cabernet Sauvignon Widowmaker En Chamberlin Vineyard
I have to start by saying that I am a huge fan of cayuse wines, but I will admit that they’re not for everyone, both in taste and price. Widowmaker is no exception. Very interesting wine – meaty, salty, dirty wine. actually, amazing how salty this wine tastes. But, make no mistake, this is a good wine, with exceptional balance (especially for how young it is) and a long, lingering finish. another great wine from cayuse. And, if you’re a fan of westerns, you really can’t beat the label. My rating: 91
2007 Lucien Albrecht Gewurztraminer Reserve
Peach, apricot and honey – well balanced white, but way too sweet for my taste. My rating: 85
2006 Orogeny Pinot Noir Redding Ranch
Interesting Pinot Noir. I’ve tried three of these bottles now and each one is a little different. So, am commenting on the most recent bottle. Mellow fruit, smoke and cured meats – it’s kind of like they took a pretty nice mid-fruit wine and left it out at the campfire overnight. Interesting. Will have to see if the other 9 bottles from my case are similar. Still, not bad and I am a big fan of Orogeny Pinot’s. My rating: 87
All tasting notes first published on Grape Stories (formerly CellarTracker)
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…
2006 Cayuse Syrah Cailloux Vineyard Walla Walla Valley. The fruit on this wine is some of the most subtle I’ve ever tasted on a Washington Syrah. With 96% Syrah and 4% Viognier, there’s definitely a nice fruit balance on the front end with blackberry, blueberry and raspberry, but when it hits the mid-palate, there is a truly unique minerality, leather and earthiness that takes over and subdues the fruit. Not a UFC-type submission, but more like a dinner with the Dalai Lama who convinces you that everything you ever thought about life was wrong…and it was all okay with you, even uplifting and motivating. Having enjoyed this wine with two good buddies who are true wine aficionados made it all that much better. My rating: 94- 2005 Chateau Plince Pomerol. This really is a beautiful wine. Definite blackberry, licorice, tea and oak, with a little touch of earth and leather. It’s a complex wine that’s incredibly well balanced, with just the right acidity and tannins to make it feel vibrant and alive through the strong finish. Amazingly velvety and textured for a 2005 – particularly since it was just released in early March. No doubt this will get better with age, but certainly a great wine now – I can only imagine what it would taste like if decanted for an hour or so before drinking. My rating: 92+
- 2006 Sea Smoke Ten Pinot Noir. This is, hands down, the best
Pinot Noir I have ever tasted. I first learned about Sea Smoke with the 2004 vintage and it continues to amaze me with this, my third vintage of Sea Smoke. This is not a faint, light Pinot – it’s dense, rich and incredibly well balanced, with a complexity unrivaled in other Pinots (or, at least those I’ve tasted). Definitely one of those wines I’m sad to finish…my only consolation is the 4 other bottles in my cellar, but I think I’ll wait a few years on those. My rating: 95 - 2008 Pepperwood Grove Pinot Noir, Valle Central. Part of the Whole Foods Holiday Wine Top ten list…This is a light, fruity, spicy Pinot Noir, with blackberry, cherry, spice and toasted vanilla notes. You won
‘t find any stemmy qualities or rich complexities, but it is incredibly well balanced, with very little heat and a nice mid-range finish. It’s definitely a wine that would work well in the early stages of Christmas dinner, just after a nice white and some cheeses. And, if you’re thinking “how did a $6 wine make it to #4,” I’ll bet if you decant this bottle and just let people try it blind, you will find that they think it is a much more expensive bottle of Pinot Noir than it actually is. Tons of quality packed in this value wine. My rating: 89 / 90+ for a wine under $10. - 2005 Long Shadows “Pedestal” Merlot Columbia Valley. I’ve been a big fan of the Long Shadows wines for so
me 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 - 2004 Fattoria Poggiopiano Rosso Di Sera Toscana.
This was a beautiful Tuscan wine. Extremely well balanced, with dark berries, coffee and hint of maple syrup and rich spice, this is one of the best wines I tasted yet in Italy. If I let my wine sit for a few minutes, it became better balanced, gentler and more silky. Once I swirled it, it became hot, tannic and angry. This can happen with most wines, but the transformation was much more pronounced on this wine than I’ve seen in others. It’s as if all the wine wanted to do was sit back and unfold, no pressure, no worries. The second I asked it to do something it didn’t want to, it let me know and became a different and lesser wine. It really did feel pissed off when riled up. A true lesson in letting wine develop as it needs to, no matter what you think is right for it. My rating: 92 
2008 Michel Schlumberger Pinot Blanc. It’s clearly a French-style wine, not a sweet or oakey California white – one of the cleanest, most refreshing and simple white wines that has had the pleasure of meeting my palate…as the person pouring said “drinks like water, doesn’t it?” That’s partially true, but only in regards to the ease with which it goes down. But, there is some complexity here, as nuanced as it is. Good subtle fruit and touch of mineral and metal, almost a zinc-like quality, that does add some interesting qualities to the wine. My rating: 89- 2007 Fontanafredda Barbera Piemonte Briccotondo. On the nose I got dirt and grass and plum and cherry and chocolate, all mix
ed up like a rich, aromatic stew. A good solid swirl and I also pick up some crushed black pepper and even just a hint of menthol. Great nose on this wine. It’s big and intense and complex, which, for me, is exactly what I like – builds so much expectation for tasting the wine. As for taste, definitely on the earthy and not entirely old school, but on the older school side of red wine. Some good solid young fruit, nice acidity and strong tannins that are drinkable now, but should also be good with a few years of aging. On the palate – front, mid and back all powerful and lasting. Are you getting the point here? I love this wine. Hard to believe this is going for $11. My rating: 90 
2007 D.R. Stephens Chardonnay. For some reason, I did not review this wine on my blog in 2009, but, regardless, I was truly impressed by how well made it is. I couldn’t find my original tasting notes for this wine, so I’ve included notes from Wine Spectator: Rich and full-bodied, this is framed by smoky, toasty oak, but also offers a delicious core of pear- and nectarine-laced flavors that are pure and elegant. Although I don’t remember the core elements of the wine from my tasting, I do remember being pleasantly surprised by how rich, complex and non-oakey this was for a CA Chardonnay – very distinct from most of the other Chardonnay’s I’ve tasted from Califonia. My rating: 91- Sancerre. This is an interesting entry for the list as I believe it’s still a work in progress. I was first introduced to Sancerre this
year and it absolutely captured my imagination. The Sancerre region in France is known for its whites, particularly those using the Sauvignon Blanc grape, and is unique in its landscape of chalky limestone and flint-filled hills. Most Sancerrre’s are 100% Sauvignon Blanc, unblended and made without much, if any, oak. The reason I’m so intrigued by Sancerre is that I have liked every one I’ve tried and yet I am not a fan of most Sauvignon Blanc’s. For me, Sauvignon Blanc is usually a little too thin and overoaked, particularly the California versions. But, the Sancerre brings something very different to the table. It feels more pure to me and doesn’t try to hide the glory of the Sauvignon Blanc grape. My rating: varies by bottle
What’s on your list this year?
Getting close to the end on the Whole Foods Holiday Wine Top Ten list this year – only a few more to go. Overall so far, there have been some good selections and some not so good selections, but it’s always a pleasure seeing what Doug Bell and his team pull together for these lists. I love that Whole Foods does this twice a year, mostly because for the average wine consumers, it takes a lot of the guesswork out of what wines to buy. If you’re like me, you could taste all the wines on the list and probably come up with a few you could live without and a few that you have to put on your own good wine list.
Thankfully, the 2008 Pisato Montepulciano falls in the latter camp. It’s not the richest, most acidic, earth-bound Montepulciano I’ve ever tasted. Nor does it have the finish of some of my favorites (see La Braccesca 2004 Vino Noble di Montepulciano, the 2005 Masciarelli Estate Bottle Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, or the 2006 Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano). But, this is a nice Italian wine. And, it’s made with organically grown grapes, so I guess that’s nice. Although, I’m not really sure what that means. If you ask some growers up in Napa, they fight every day to get the organic seal of approval, while others do everything they can to avoid the designation and instead focus on farming techniques that are truly sustainable. This post is not about that topic, as it could go on forever and rarely do you get the same opinion when you ask. For me, though, I just thought it was interesting because it’s the first Montepulciano I’ve seen that has this designation (but then again, maybe I don’t get out enough).
The 2008 Pisato Montepulciano has an interesting array of aromas and flavors – very dark cherry, earth, chocolate and wet dog on the nose, followed by a pomegranate, cranberry chocolate espresso (hold the whip cream) in the mouth. Not as acidic as I expected it to be, but it was well balanced for a wine at the sub $15 price point. The biggest bummer is that the finish dropped off a little too early for me, but up until that point, a very satisfying wine.
What Whole Foods has to say: For turkey and other rich poultry consider this affordable alternative to Chianti with soft tannins and hints of dried fruit. Bold ruby color and dry silky fresh tomato notes complement Italian food. Superbly creamy with Cabot Clothbound Cheddar aged at the Cellars of Jasper Hill or Parmigiano Reggiano Aged 24 months.
You know, it’s always fun to go through these top ten lists and see what Whole Foods comes up with, but, I have to be honest, reading their descriptions makes me want to go on whatever cheese tours they go on. Incredible the cheese recommendations for these wines.
What you should do: Buy it. Well worth having some around the house. After all, you know of any other sub $15 bottles of Organic Italian wine? Yes? Good, go buy this one. No? Well, good, go buy this one.
My rating: 88
Continue reading about Whole Foods Wine Holiday Top Ten list – 2008 Pisato Montepulciano
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
Continue reading about Fattoria Poggiopiano Rosso Di Sera Toscana 2004
Tuscania – a small walled city northwest of Rome and the setting for many posts to come…
Have only been in Italy a few days and haven’t tasted too many wines as we’ve been trying to get our bearings and recover from the red-eye flight out of San Francisco. But, we picked up some wines at the local store that I’m excited to taste – 2007 Vermentino Maremma Toscana and 2006 Bonacchi Rosso di Montalcino. The funny thing about these wines is, and I have to be honest here, I have no idea what they’re going to be like. For all I know, I could have bought the wines that are the Italian version of Thunderbird or Boones Farm, although somehow I don’t think that’s the case (I wonder if Italian’s have even heard of fortified wine…).
To set the stage, my Italian wine knowledge is fairly limited. I know I like most Italian wines, but am torn when it comes to Nebiollo and Chianti….and that’s about it. So, you can look at this one of two ways. The first is that most of what I’m going to taste in Italy will be new to me, with very few preconceptions or thoughts about what the wine “should” be or taste like. A pretty pure experience, actually. The second is that anyone reading these blog posts that knows a lot about Italian wines will either be sickened by my lack of knowledge or compelled to comment and let me know the error of my ways. I’m hoping the latter will be the case…but, if not, I’m okay with going into a wine region pretty unknowledgeable. Wine is discovery and this trip is all about discovering new wines in a setting that provides a new look at culture, beauty and those parts of me that get lost in the day-to-day ups and downs of the world (sorry, had to wax poetic there for a minute – I am in Italy, after all).
I’ll get to the Vermentino and Bonacchi in a later post, but wanted to tell you about a wine we had at dinner last night. First off, the dinner was amazing…a small pizzeria / trattoria in Tuscania starting with a rustic antipasto (meats, cheese, bruschetta, peppers, etc.), then on to a pasta dish (my wife ordered one of the best pasta dishes I have ever tasted) and finally a tournado filet. A beautiful spread, one that came close to overcoming our embarrassment at not knowing enough Italian to order efficiently (at one point near the start of the meal, I thought they were going to call over the whole kitchen staff and even people off the street to make sure we ordered correctly – comical, to be sure).
With the dinner, we had a 2006 Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano. The first thing I noticed is that the alcohol level was relatively low, at 13.5%. I’m not sure I buy into the argument from old world wine people that high alcohol is always bad, but I will say that whenever I have a lower alcohol wine – like this Montepulciano or something like Chateau Plince – I always seem to savor it just a little more than I do a wine with lots of alcohol. There’s no heat on the back end, just a focus on the juice.
This was one of those wines. Spectacular with all three courses of the meal and very well balanced, with medium body and a blend of blackberry, earth and espresso. A healthy does of acidity (the pucker factor is pretty high on this wine, but it allowed it to cut nicely through all the rich pasta and meats of the meal) and a very long finish, this is a wine that I will most certainly try to either seek out when I get back home or buy some of when I’m here. Overall, a great first Italian wine experience (well, at least the first Italian wine tasted in Italy).
What you should do: Buy it. Cost us about 20 euros at the restaurant, so probably about $15 – 20 at retail in the US. This one is on my list of keepers from Italy (always nice to go 1-for-1).
My rating: 89
Note: Most of the time we’re in Italy, we’ll be in areas that don’t have internet access, so will update when I can, maybe even after I return, but will do my best to keep the updates coming.
Continue reading about Avignonesi 2006 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano DOCG
There are those who cling to the ‘romance’ and ‘tradition’ of popping the cork prior to imbibing. Then there are those who think such ‘romance’ and ‘tradition’ are ridiculous if these totems potentially mean stinking, spoiled wine. Both camps have…