Red Wine
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…
2007 Thierry et Pascale Matrot Chardonnay Bourgogne Blanc
Citrusy, pithy, minerally…off balance and a bit challenging for me. Picked up as another recommendation for a wine that pairs well with butternut squash soup, but didn’t compare to the 2008 Domaine d’Ardhuy Bourgogne Blanc (tasting notes on this wine posted earlier today) – in fact, I have a full bottle of this wine left while the d”Ardhuy was finished at dinner last night (and both were served with dinner). My rating: 84
2008 Domaine d’Ardhuy Bourgogne Blanc
I went to McCarthy & Schiering wine shop in Seattle looking for a good wine to pair with butternut squash soup and, man, did they nail it with this French Chardonnay. Good wine on its own, with more crispness than a US Chardonnay. Good citrus, apple and mineral notes. But, with the soup, it was a perfect blend of flavors complimenting each other. Whenever I make butternut squash soup again, this is the wine I will have on hand to enjoy it with. My rating: 88
2008 Woodward Canyon Chardonnay
Lemon, peach, sour apple, in a crisp and full white wine. surprisingly little oak and a long, lingering finish. Really nice wine, but a bit pricey for a Washington state white wine, so keeping my rating at an 89 (don’t always do this, but only in situations where i feel the QPR is off a bit). My rating: 89
2008 Lucien Albrecht Pinot Gris Cuvée Romanus
Excellent Pinot Gris and under $20. Crisp lemon and citrus, with a smooth, buttery broad palate and long finish. Recommendation from the sommelier at Cafe Campagne in Seattle and absolutely hit the mark. If I could find any of this online, I’d buy a case without hesitation. My rating: 90
2007 Domaine Roger Perrin Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Very nice Chateauneuf-du-Pape, with a huge aroma – blackberry, bacon, mocha and chestnuts. On the palate, great acidity and a decent finish. doesn’t live up to all the hype of the 2007 CDP vintage, but, then again, this is a $27 bottle and I think the QPR is very high on this wine. My only regret is that I didn’t buy more than I did (only bought two bottles). My rating: 90
2007 Terra Blanca Roussanne
Reserve Terra Blanca Estate Buttery/creamy, meyer lemon, leeche and some minerals. Nice, easy drinker, but may be too buttery for some tastes. My rating: 87
2006 Long Shadows Wineries Pedestal
I had a glass of this last night at the met in Seattle and didn’t take too many notes, but suffice it to say this is a beautiful wine. Dark, lush, ripe fruit and so incredibly well balanced, smooth and silky. Long, lush finish and zero heat. I thought I would need to wait on the ’06’s that I have in my cellar, but this is already showing very well. My rating: 94
2007 Tamarack Cellars Firehouse Red
Raspberry, blackberry, mocha, smoke (from the Carménère …rare addition for a US blend, at least in my experience) and pepper – it’s lush, broad on the palate and well balanced, with a long, lingering finish. This is an incredible wine for the price (about $15) and if I can find any more, I’ll pick up everything I can let my hands on. My rating: 90 And, the blend on this thing is crazy (see below) – makes me want to be there for that blending party…probably takes a week to figure it all out.
BLEND
- 31% Cabernet Sauvignon (15% Walla Walla Valley, 9% Columbia Valley, 4% Wahluke Slope, 3% Rattlesnake Hills
- 27% Syrah (17% Columbia Valley, ◦6% Horse Heaven Hills, 2% Wahluke Slope, 2% Walla Walla Valley)
- 16% Merlot (9% Walla Walla Valley, 4% Columbia Valley,2% Rattlesnake Hills, 1% Wahluke Slope
- 14% Cabernet Franc (◦8% Horse Heaven Hills, 3% Walla Walla Valley, 3% Wahluke Slope
- 7% Malbec (Columbia Valley)
- 3% Sangiovese (Columbia Valley)
- 1% Carménère (Walla Walla Valley)
- 1% Petit Verdot (Walla Walla Valley & Columbia Valley)
2005 Frédéric & Daniel Brunier Châteauneuf-du-Pape Domaine La Roquète Cherries, strawberries, fennel and butterscotch. Bright acidity, medium body, medium finish. Very nice CDP. My rating: 88
2005 La Crema Chardonnay California
Every time the price goes up on this wine, the quality seems to go down – this was a much better wine when it was $10 then it is now at around $15. My rating: 84
2006 Havens Wine Cellars Merlot
Really bummed out with this one. Bought a case at what I thought was a steal for $6.99 a bottle at K&L Wines, one of my favorite and most trusted wine sources. Opened one bottle and thought it had gone bad, so opened another, which was okay the first night buy the second night it tasted like the first bottle. Not worth giving tasting notes on this one except to say it tasted like wine in a can – very tinny and bitter. My rating: 70
Continue reading about Wine tasting notes from a week gone by…
I’ve been experimenting a lot with Carménère lately and the good folks at Wines of Chile were gracious enough to let me in on a tasting of their selections a few months back. Unfortunately, at the time, I had to back out of the tasting so am just now finishing up the wines. Overall, a good flight of wines, some I really enjoyed, some that fell a bit flat, but none of them dogs. If you haven’t tried Carménère, I suggest you try it – it’s a varietal that will become more and more prominent and it’s smoky features are always interesting to experiment with.
2008 Viña La Rosa Cabernet Sauvignon La Capitana Barrel Reserve This one’s an easy drinker – blackberry, smoke, plum and pepper – with great balance and just enough acidity to make it come to life. versatile wine, either on its own or with a big, fatty, grilled steak. Broad on the palate all the way through, with a medium length finish. Almost scored this a 90, but the finish on this one left me wishing for more. But, good wine other than that. My rating: 88
2007 Ventisquero Carménère Grey Great nose on this one…dark berry fruits, blackcurrant, pancetta (as in pancetta still frying in the pan, filling the kitchen with its aroma)), smoke and leather. On the palate, a very full, broad mouthed, acidic, tart dark berry surprise…some of the leather, but more earthy than that, with chalk and dust elements. The finish drops off a bit for me, but this one’s a keeper. I really enjoyed this wine and would love to take it with me to an Argentinian steak house. My rating: 89
2007 Santa Carolina Carménère Reserva Plum, candy apple, bacon and smoke, with, unfortunately, a funky day old prosciutto aftertaste (not sure how to describe it other than that, but if you want to try it out, leave a piece of prosciutto out on the counter for a couple hours, then taste it). Outside of that funky element, it’s got a nice balance and good acidity…but, I can’t get my palate past the prosciutto piece. My rating: 83
2004 Carmen Wine Maker’s Reserve Day 1: Cherries, dark berries and green vegetables on the nose. Sour cherry, smoke and chalk on the palate. Medium-bodied up front with a light, hot finish. Decent enough, but not my favorite Carménère. My rating: 85 Day 2: Not going to change my rating on this wine, but it did develop a lot more overnight – the tannins smoothed our considerably and it took on a silkiness that I did not see last night on the first tasting. So, my advice is to keep most of this bottle for day 2 – you will be rewarded.
2007 Viña Cono Sur Carménère Visión On the nose, star fruit, blood orange, simple syrup and rain water (not from the sky, but the rain water captured in a pot, two days after the rain has passed – a bit musty and funky). On the palate, all bright tart fruit, smoke and pepper. crazy mix of stuff on this one. I will finish this bottle, but I doubt I’ll buy another one. my rating: 85
NOTE: These wines were sent to me courtesy of Wines of Chile
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…
For those of us fully entrenched in the online wine world, there are few better places to be or better things to do than partake in Twitter TasteLive. Billed as the “world’s premiere wine tasting community,” TasteLive hosts events on a regular basis in which bloggers like myself and others “get together” in the virtual world to share tasting notes and thoughts about the chosen wines for the night. Kind of like a big tasting of a winery’s new wines, but with people spread out all over the world…literally…giving those of us partaking a way to get involved with our friends and peers and share what we think, while also giving the wineries an opportunity to share their wines, get exposure and interact with the online wine community.
So, why keep all that fun to myself? I mean if you’re not following along on TasteLive or on Twitter, then I might as well share my tasting notes with you. The format will be verbatim from my Tweets – I can only multi-task so much. (NOTE: these are only my tasting notes – if you want to see everyone’s tasting notes from tonight’s events, you can search on “ridgewines” or “ttl” on Twitter).
On to the wines…on tonight’s TasteLive, four wines from Ridge Vineyards in Santa Cruz, California.
- Nice nose on the chardonnay – lemon, starfruit, just a little pineapple and some good grass and minerals
- Pretty rich and robust nose, actually, more than I see on most Chardonnay
- Wow – that first sip threw me off. Given the nose, I expected something a little oakier and much more creamy. Very nice surprise.
-
Lemon, green fruit, minerals & grass on the Chard mouth. Long, lingering finish, altho a bit hot as the wine warmed up
- [100% Chardonnay]
- Something very interesting on the nose of the Carignane – mincemeat? french onion soup? Anybody else picking up on the complexities?
- Carignane has a very nice blueberry upfront and then a good balance of dark fruits and acidity – would be a nice pairing wine
- Carignane really has some nice acidity on it
- [100% hillside grown old vine Carignane]
- [in response to @enobytes] Completely agree – the color on the Caboose is very dark
- Nose on the Caboose is ripe, plummy, jammy, sweet, like a train ran over a box of ripe fruit & splattered it all over the station walls
- Caboose was extremely tight for me when I first opened it, but has opened up considerably – let this one sit a while before drinking
- [96% Zinfandel, 4% Petite Sirah]
- The 2007 Lytton Springs is what I’m talking about – have always loved this wine from
- Lytton Springs aroma – cherry, chocolate, sweet pipe tobacco and wet, sappy tree bark – I love the nose on this wine
- Lytton Springs – immediate balance on the palate, not overripe, good acid, strong tannins, finishing all the way through
- I want to pair the LS with a juicy, blue cheese bacon burger – preferably from red mill in Seattle – or Girl & the Fig burger in Sonoma
- The LS gets better with every sip – such good balance and the finish is looooong
- [71% Zinfandel, 22% Petite Sirah, 7% Carignane]
It seems like it’s been a while since I sat down to a tasting of wines I knew absolutely nothing about. No history. No word of mouth. No tasting notes on Cellar Tracker. No Twitter comments. Not even a mention from the too many wine shop proprietors on my wine shop route (not as consistent as, say, a USPS mail route, but at times could be mistaken for one).
So it is with Chronicle wines, a small lot artisan producer of Pinot Noir and Zinfandel from Sonoma and Mendocino. Two Pinot Noirs and two Zinfandels, produced by two accomplished winemakers in Ted Lemon (long Burgundy background at Domaine Dujac and Domaine Guy Roulot in Meursault, to name a few) and Dan Cederquist (who spent 10 years at DeLoach specializing in Old Vine Zinfandel), this was looking to be an interesting tasting.
And, indeed it was, particularly with the Zinfandels. Looking back, somewhere along the line, I started to lose touch with most Zinfandels, partly because I came across too many over-ripe, seriously jammy takes on the varietal and partly because I got distracted with so many other great wines in this world. But, the Chronicle Zinfandels are unique in comparison to the Zinfandels I’m used to – they’re lighter, more acidic, not as jammy on the palate. Almost felt more like an Italian wine, like a Nebbiolo, than a Zin, with light color and heavy tannins. Very interesting and unexpected.
So, on to the tasting notes:
2006 Chronicle Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
Very light aroma, some floral notes, dark ripe cherry and a touch of watermelon and menthol. Opens up considerably in the mouth. Big front-end, attacking the front palate with blackberry, cherry, spice, earth and pith. Loses some of it’s punch mid-palate, but then returns for a long finish, albeit a hot one. Overall, this is a soft, lightweight Pinot, without much acid and not too aggressive. My rating: 87
What Chronicle has to say: The Sonoma Coast shows spice, floral and sandalwood notes, with pronounced alpine strawberry and Bing cherry. The attack is sweet, with plenty of structure and well-integrated tannins. The wine is fresh with moderate weight. A soft, velvety mid-palate gradually gives way to a long and lively finish.
2006 Chronicle Pinot Noir Cerise Vineyard
Bigger nose than the 2006 Chronicle Sonoma Coast, but not by much. Light fruit on the aroma, with floral notes, cherry and milk chocolate. A nice ride through the palate, hitting warmly up front and then growing into a spicy, peppery, earthy finish. Good acidity on this one. Not a fruity Pinot Noir, so if that’s your taste, probably not the one for you. My rating: 88
What Chronicle has to say: The Cerise Vineyard shows intriguing herbal and brushy aromas with brambly blackberry and raspberry patch. The woodsy notes frame a dense and chewy, altogether serious mid-palate. This wine has good lift, structure, and concentration with a strong backbone and dense tannins that will reward patience and cellaring.
2006 Chronicle Zinfandel Bacigalupi Vineyard
Very interesting nose on this one – black licorice and chocolate covered strawberries in a Christmas tree lot. It’s remarkably light for a Zinfandel, both in color and mouth feel, making it unlike any other Zinfandel I’ve tried before. It almost drinks more like Nebbiolo than a Zinfandel, which might explain the different elements – could be that the fruit wasn’t able to stand up to the oak elements. A bit of a pithy, dry finish, so if that’s not your gig, this isn’t for you. But, overall, I quite enjoyed this wine. If you’re a Zin fanatic, I don’t think this is the Zin you would pick to get your fix. On the other hand, this is a very interesting take on Zin and puts a different spin on the varietal. My rating: 89 (caveat: not for everyone’s palate)
What Chronicle has to say: The Bacigalupi Vineyard is a deep and vibrant crimson, with enticing aromas of cranberry, boysenberry and spice. The wine is medium bodied, with bold flavors of black cherry and brambly blackberry with well-integrated spice and vanilla tines from the oak. This is classic old vine Zinfandel.
2006 Chronicle Zinfandel Old Vines
Maraschino cherries, milk chocolate, licorice and pepper on the nose. Broad distribution in the mouth ending with a remarkably focused finish of dark berry fruit and pepper . This is the most multi-dimensional and complex of the four Chronicle wines and, even though it’s an easy drinker, it does offer up some complexity that would incline me to go back for more. Again, as with all the Chronicle wines, a bit of a pithy, bitter finish but to my liking and not too overbearing. My favorite of the four Chronicle wines. My rating: 90
What Chronicle has to say: This wine is composed of grapes from all three of the old vine sites we sourced, located off Piner Road in the southern end of the Russian River appellation. During barrel aging, we had great fun working on the blend from these three sites. Each has its charms and brought something different to the assemblage. In our final blend Bacigalupi brings brambly blackberry flavors and mid palate richness, Gaddis brings backbone and structure, and Gambogi brings intriguing chocolate and claret-like aromatics and flavors.
What you should do: Mailing list only on these wines, so not readily available, but worth putting your name in for consideration if my tasting notes sound appealing. It feels to me like these wines could make an impact somewhere down the road and, at the very least, you may be able to get your hands on some unique, small lot wines that should age well.
NOTE: the Chronicle wines were sent to me as a sample
A few quick post-holiday wine reviews, one a Carménère from Chile, the other a Malbec from Washington state.
I’ve been tasting a lot of Carménère’s lately, partly in thanks to Wines of Chile. I like the varietal, with its smokey and peppery notes, but I don’t think it’s for everyone. The Odfjell is the first one that I think is truly accessible to a large group of wine drinkers. Easily the most balanced and easy drinking of the dozen or so I’ve tried, this one is 100% Carménère, with blackberry, plum, tobacco, smoke and white pepper. Remarkably nice acidity, allowing the wine to slice directly through the palate, but balanced with a nice, long finish and a quick, broad mouth feel.
What you should do: BUY IT! This varietal is worth a try and, without a doubt, this is the one to experiment with.
My rating: 89
2007 Townshend Malbec
This wine was brought to my attention by my father-in-law. He is a Malbec loyalist and responsible for me exploring the Malbec varietal by introducing 
me to a great Terra Blanca Malbec a few years back. The Townshend is a nice fruit -forward Malbec, with dark cherry, fig and white pepper on the nose. Remarkably well balanced and full palate, especially for a wine this young. It’s big and broad on the palate and then narrows into a lasting finish. All in all, this is a fantastic Malbec from Washington.
What you should do: Buy it, if you can find it. The winery does have plenty of the 2007 on hand, in the mid-$20’s, so you can get it there, but I wasn’t able to find it anywhere else. This may be a case wine for me – would love to have some bottles around the house.
My rating: 88
NOTE: The Odfjell was provided to me as a free sample.
Continue reading about Quick fire wine review – Odfjell and Townshend
Here marks the end of the Whole Foods Top Ten Holiday Wines review. Hope you enjoyed the write-ups and had a chance to go out and try some of these for yourself. If you did, let me know – would love to hear what you think.
Below is the wrap-up of my results. At the end of the full tasting, I was more often in the “buy it” camp than not. All ten are in order of preference below, along with my “What you should do” notes for each:
2008 Pepperwood Grove Pinot Noir, Valle Central
Did I mention that you should buy this wine? Well, it’s worth saying again. If you like Pinot Noir and good deals, this is the one for you. It’s around $6 and an incredible Pinot Noir for that price – the QPR is off the charts on this one. My rating: 89 (I give it a 90 rating for wines under $10)
2008 Pisato Montepulciano
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
2008 Paso a Paso Tempranillo
Buy this wine. It’s always nice to find a good Tempranillo and the quality of this wine, especially for the price, is high. My rating: 88
2008 Los Vascos Domaines Barons De Rothschild (Lafite) Special Selection Sauvignon Blanc
BUY IT! It’s just a nice take on Sauvignon Blanc. Some good complexity, but an easy drinker at the same time. And, given that sweeter wines tend to find their way through the clutter more over the holidays, this was a nice surprise and a drier alternative. My rating: 88
2008 M. Chapoutier Belleruche Special Selection Cotes-Du-Rhone Blanc
Getting hard for the Whole Foods wines because I’m preparing to go next week and buy a bunch of these. This one’s no exception. I would buy it. It’s a good value, a nice wine, from a trusted producer who clearly cares about the world around them. If you had to pick up only one, I would probably err on the side of the Pepperwood Grove Pinot Noir, but if there are a couple you can afford, this is also a good one to have on hand. My rating: 87
2007 Helfrich Gewurztraminer
Buy this wine in time for Thanksgiving. It will be a great one to kick off your night, especially with some good, rich cheeses, as Whole Foods suggests. The sweetness of the wine should be offset by the robust cheeses. My rating: 87
2008 Santa Julia Bonarda & 2008 El Coto Special Cuvee Rioja
Buy the Santa Julia and try it out, but if you want to get a Tempranillo, I would go for the Paso a Paso – just more bang for the buck on that one. Santa Julia rating – 87; El Coto rating – 86
2008 Marques De Riscal Rueda Seleccion Especial
Buy it. I think this is a timely wine and one that you can have with Thanksgiving dinner. A relatively light and refreshing wine, it would be a nice complement to the Helfrich Riesling, which is sweeter, but definitely a nice wine to pair with pre-dinner cheeses. Plus, between the two wines, you’ll impress your guests with your international wine savvy. My rating: 86
J. P. Chenet Blanc De Blancs Frut
First off, I wouldn’t take my advice on sparkling wines. If you have a keen eye for them, definitely buy it and see what you think. All the Whole Foods holiday wines are affordable. It won’t be what we crack open for a special occasion, as I’ve had many champagnes that are better and feel more festive, but it’s good. My rating: 85
2006 Red Truck Zinfandel Mendocino County
Don’t buy this one. As I said, the producer used to be higher on my list and I don’t know if it’s just the Zinfandel that’s throwing me off, but not my favorite. Plenty of other good ones on the list (like the Pepperwood Grove Pinot Noir and the Paso a Paso Tempranillo) for you to choose from. My rating: 84
2008 Sutter Home Muscat of Alexandria
If you like sweet Muscat, definitely try this. If your palate is more like mine and prefer dried wines, you may want to try the 2008 Ca’ del Solo Muscat from Bonny Doon – it’s a beautiful, well balanced, drier Muscat that kept me going back for more when I first tried it. If you like cheese, find a way to get ahold of some Mount Tam or Rogue blue – these will certainly not disappoint. My rating: 82
Continue reading about Whole Foods Wine Holiday Top Ten list – the wrap-up
Well, this is it, the end of the road for the Whole Foods Holiday Wine Top Ten List for 2009. Two more posts – this one and one coming soon that wraps it up just in time for the last holiday push.
I’ll keep it short and sweet today, given that these are actually numbers 11 and 12 in the Top Ten…which is odd, but always the case with Whole Foods. I think they do it this way so that everyone can find at least ten in their local Whole Foods, but I’ve always been able to find all twelve, so not sure if that’s the case or not.
The two wines for today are the 2008 Santa Julia Bonarda and the 2008 El Coto Special Cuvee Rioja. Both are close peers in my book, not the best on the list, but easy drinkers that are worth checking out. And, I’ll only say this one more time – all the bottles on the list this year are under $15, so it’s an easy list to experiment with.
2008 Santa Julia Bonarda
Not too aromatic at first, but with some air and rest, comes out with earth, leather, plum, dark cherry and tobacco. A little more tart and spicy in the mouth with blackcurrant and smoke. Nice firm tannins, a little hot, with a decent, but not lingering finish.
What Whole Foods has to say: With energy conservation and recycling projects, this winery is dedicated to earth-friendly winemaking in Argentina. Juicy berries and underlying spiciness drive this lively wine, making it a savory match for tomato sauce in pizza and pasta. A few bites of Drunken Goat cheese make the wine jump.
My rating: 87
2008 El Coto Special Cuvee Rioja
This one isn’t a far cry from the Bon
arda. More floral on the nose, with cherry, plum and some of the earth and leather, but a bit oakier in the mouth, with a touch of vanilla and spice. This one is a bit off balance to me, with not enough fruit to counteract the oak and almost tastes somewhat diluted. It’s not bad, just a few key elements missing for me that throw it out of balance.
What Wholes Foods has to say about it: This toasty wine tastes modern, but its long finish comes from Spain’s noble Tempranillo grapes. Hearty cherry-vanilla and plum notes make it perfect for roasted meats or try sharp El Trigal Manchego or Mahon cheese to give it the flavorful grip that Rioja’s known for.
My rating: 86
What you should do: Buy the Santa Julia and try it out, but if you want to get a Tempranillo, I would go for the Paso a Paso – just more bang for the buck on that one.
NOTE: both of these wines were sent to me as samples.
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
