Syrah
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 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?
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: $6.99 @ Trader Joe’s
What They Said:
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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
Part 2 in my installment of Clif Family Wines (Part I can be found at Clif Family Winery), this time focusing on a white (The Climber) and another red (Gary’s Improv 2006 Syrah).
2007 The Climber White Wine Blend
The only one of the Clif Family wines that was a white wine turned out to be pretty tasty. All peach, pear and freshly cut grass on the nose, it wasn’t anything complex, nor did I feel like it over-promised. In the mouth, the pear stuck around, but the peach and grass were replaced with grapefruit and minerals. Not a bad substitution by any means and this wine delivered more flavor than I actually thought it would. With a combination of Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc, Pinot Blanc and Muscat, this is very nicely balanced with good acidity.
What you should do: Buy it. At $14 a bottle through the winery, this white is tasty enough that I’d go out and grab a couple for any hot summer days that are left. I really enjoyed the fruit and the acidity and the Clif Family Wines have a cool story to go along with the wines. But, I wouldn’t pair it with a Clif Bar just yet.
My rating: 87
Gary’s Improv 2006 Napa Valley Syrah
Overall, this was my least favorite of the Clif Family Wines that I tasted. The fruit was there with blueberry and raspberry, along with some interesting fig, chocolate and licorice components. But, in the end, the heat was a little too much for me, with a lot of burn on the back end of the finish. I tried it several times, even decanting some to see if I could mellow it out a little bit, but it was still too hot for my taste. The one thing I did not do was pair with any food, which sometimes helps mask or compliment the heat enough to subdue it, so that may make a difference. Kind of a bummer for me, because I really like the Clif Family Wines overall, but this one was just too hot for my taste.
What you should do: Don’t buy it. I gave “buy it” recommendations to the other three Clif Family wines – the Climber White Wine Blend above, the Climber Red Wine Blend and the Kit’s Killer Cab Cabernet Sauvignon – but at $35, I would wait until the 2007 is released to see if the balance is better and the heat has been brought under control.
My rating: 85
NOTE: the Clif Family wines were sent to me as a sample from the winery.
Fall is here…and for me, that means the return of dense nummy RED’s! Choking back a 15% Shiraz in 90 degree heat is not easy. With evenings in the Northeast reaching the low 60’s however, you’ll find it much easier to enjoy this little gem.
The 2008 Luzon is a blend of Syrah and Monastrell. I had the wine in two different sittings several days apart, and to continued to surprise me. In addition to the black cherry and plum fruits, I also got hints of chocolate and orange marmalade. At $6 a bottle, this is an absolute steal and further solidifies Spain as an affordable (quality) wine Mecca.
Cheers!
Continue reading about Bodegas Luzon 2008, Syrah/Monastrell, $6!
On to part 2 of my Owen Roe series (Owen Roe Winery Part 1) and a truly spectacular wine in this round of 2. But, before I get to that wine, wanted to touch on another interesting element of Owen Roe winery.
There are so many great Northwest wineries and winemakers. In Oregon, a few that stand out to me are Devitt, Domaine Drouhin, Ken Wright, Williamette Valley Vineyards. And, up north in Washington, some of my favorites are Mark Ryan, Buty, Dunham Cellars, Long Shadows, Cayuse, K Vintners and on and on. It’s truly extraordinary the number of great wines coming out of the Northwest and no one knows this better than Owen Roe winery.
Their positioning as “Wine from Oregon & Washington” seems pretty straight forward, but to take on two huge states, with over 25 AVA’s between them and a host of great wines and winemakers is a daunting task. This isn’t necessarily a new phenomenon, with the likes of Andrew Rich and Sineann also making wines with grapes from both states, but what makes it even more interesting is that these three wineries have 37 current releases among them. 37! I’ve been to at least 1/2 a dozen wineries this last year that only have one and these guys are offering up almost 40 different wines. Which is part of the reason why I was so intrigued by Owen Roe to begin with. I haven’t tasted any Andrew Rich or Sineann, but the simple fact that Owen Roe has such a vast line-up of wines (14 current releases on its own) is what originally compelled me to look into the subject further.
From there, it’s the quality of the wine that caught my attention. If Owen Roe was putting out the Northwest’s Two Buck Chuck, I’d probably write one post and move on or completely ignore them. But, Owen Roe truly recognizes the power of a Northwest grape and, in most cases, are pulling all the best natural characteristics out of the grapes and the land. Even though the Northwest has received high acclaim around the wine world, it’s still an up & coming region and it’s important (at least to me) that people get a realistic sense of wine coming out of there. A truly extraordinary place, producing truly extraordinary wines.
Which brings me to the two wines I’m focusing on for today – the 2007 Owen Roe Pinot Noir Santa maria Valley Solomon Hills Vineyard and the 2007 Owen Roe Syrah Yakima Valley “Lady Rosa”.
2007 Owen Roe Pinot Noir Santa Maria Valley Solomon Hills Vineyard
If you read my first post on Owen Roe (Owen Roe Winery Part 1) you’ll know that I wasn’t a big fan of the Pinot Noir in that round – the Eola-Amity Hills. Just couldn’t seem to shake the fact that it didn’t taste like a Pinot Noir to me. Still a decent wine, but not at all what I expected and certainly not a contender in its weight class.
But, the Santa Maria Valley Solomon Hills is a different story. On the nose came blackberry, cinnamon and rich earth, with an interesting blend of raspberry, strawberry and blackcurrant in the mouth. Much fruitier in the mouth than on the nose and a bit unbalanced, but I appreciated the fact that it tasted like a Pinot Noir. Bar too low on this one, given my experience with the Eola-Amity Hills? Maybe. But, then again, I am focusing on one winery for this series, so it’s only fair that I judge the wines against each other.
What you should do: Wait on this one, until I finish. At about $42, it drinks below its price for now, especially considering some of my favorite Pinot Noirs go for around $50 (Domaine Drouhin, Sea Smoke, Kosta Browne…to name a few). This one may be fighting as a middleweight in the heavyweight category – not that far off, but would almost certainly get pummeled in the ring.
my rating: 87
2007 Owen Roe Syrah Yakima Valley “Lady Rosa”
My wife and I are expecting our first child in December and we decided to not find out the sex of the baby. And, we’re not one of those couples in which one wants to know and the other does not. We are 100% committed to not knowing, under the auspice that there are only so many truly beautiful surprises left in this world anymore.
Uh oh, is he really going to compare the birth of his first child to a bottle of wine? Well, not really. Nothing will compare, that’s for sure. But, it’s noteworthy that after you taste so many wines, there are also very few surprises. My first surprise in the Owen Roe tasting was a Pinot Noir that tasted like anything but that (aka an unpleasant surprise). My second is the Lady Rosa Syrah that absolutely knocked my socks off (aka a pleasant surprise).
This wine is beautiful. A huge nose…and I mean huge. To extend the boxing metaphor, a heavyweight who came to win and even intimidates some of the super heavyweights along the way. Blueberry, eucalyptus, play-doh and cigar box (not a lit cigar, more like running a cigar under your nose before lighting it). A weird combo on paper, but it really was dynamic, aromatic and ever-changing. Then, on the mouth, I tasted one of the richest, creamiest wines I’ve had in a long time. Again, some blueberry, with dark berries and fresh earth, and a phenomenal caramel / butterscotch finish that I can still taste in the back of my throat, like a Werthers Original hard candy, but a less sweet-version. Overall, an incredibly lush and silky Syrah, with very fine tannins, from a state that is currently blowing me away with their Syrah (if you don’t believe me, get your hands on a Cayuse Cailloux Vineyard or Bionic Frog – unbelievable…come to think of it, if you do get ahold of them, give me a ring, I’ll be right over).
What you should do: BUY IT by the case if you can afford it. $45 a bottle and still selling at that price, even after a 94 rating from Wine Spectator. This is a beautiful wine. Be selective about who you share it with – if you think they won’t appreciate it, then pull out a good sub-$20 bottle of wine for them. Save the Lady Rosa for yourself or for a friend that’s bringing over an equally great bottle of wine.
My rating: 92
The first time I was introduced to Owen Roe wines I was struck by two things.
From there, I picked up the bottle with the most minimal label (and I believe the lowest price, but can’t remember) called Ex Umbris Syrah. Cool name, cool label, from a cool family of wines. I believe it was a 2004 and, well, that wine spoke to me. It’s a Syrah in the tradition of most good Northwestern Syrah – juicy fruit and spice, with just the right amount of earth, not anything like it’s commercial cousin way down south, otherwise known as Shiraz and tending towards the “super-fruity”. Needless to say, the Ex Umbris has been a staple in my wine cellar ever since.
So, I naturally extended my affinity with Ex Umbris out to a bigger idea – I mean if I like the Ex Umbris this much, then maybe I should dive a lot deeper into their whole line. And that’s what this three-part post is all about – some more info on Owen Roe and a random sampling of their wines.
The two wines I’ll be starting with are the Ex Umbris and the Pinot Noir Eola – Amity Hills.
2007 Owen Roe Ex Umbris Syrah Columbia Valley
As I mentioned above, this is the Owen Roe that started it all for me. I still remember that first bottle and the impression it left. For the price (I think it was around $15), it was dense and rich and incredibly well balanced. The nose was full of life and every sip took me back to my Northwest roots. A little dramatic you say? Well, wine does that to people and attaching wines to good memories is what it’s all about.
The 2007 is equally as good. The richness is still there, like I remember. The nose is aromatic, with dark berry fruit, chocolate, spice and smoke that transforms into blueberries, chocolate and coffee in the mouth. The finish was a little lighter than I remember and left me yearning for more, but overall this is still a very nice wine, particularly for the price of under $20.
What you should do: Buy it. It’s a great introduction to Owen Roe wines, but is also a solid, stand-alone Northwest Syrah. It’s an easy drinker and seems to me to be a wine that will appeal to most palettes – a good one to have on hand for entertaining family and friends.
My rating: 88
2007 Owen Roe Pinot Noir Eola – Amity Hills Williamette Valley
You gotta give Owen Roe credit for the having the moxie to put a headstone on this label. Sets the expectation high. But, in the end, it doesn’t really live up to that kind of pressure.
This one was tricky for me. I’m a big fan of Pinot Noir, particularly Pinot from Williamette Valley, but this offering just felt off to me. Not off like it had gone bad, more like it didn’t really strike me as a Pinot Noir. It’s smokey, chocolaty, spicy with a good strong finish, but it never really landed as a Pinot Noir like I expected. There were moments when it came through, but it went back and forth between being a relatively light, fruity Pinot, to a blended red table wine, then to a mellow Meritage and on and on. Very odd. Never could get my arms around it. Overall, not a bad wine, but when I open a vineyard-designate Pinot Noir, I expect two things – the varietal it claims to be and something unique that represents the vineyard and the grapes from that vineyard. It’s still a bit weird to me, but I couldn’t really nail down either in this case.
What you should do: I’d skip this one. I’ve heard from a few others that the Owen Roe Pinot Noirs are hit or miss and this one definitely fits in the miss category for me. At about $42, it’s also priced way too high.
My rating: 83
Depending on where you live in the world, there are two main staples of diet; bread or rice. I’m not sure if the naming of this wine was intentional (pan = bread) (arroz = rice), but I like the idea of wine being the third staple! Either way, this affordable wine will go with both.
When I first tried Panarroz a few weeks back, I wasn’t immediately smitten. But with most affordable wines I’ll buy at least two bottles, which saves me a trip back to the store if I really like it. The second bottle made me a believer… This mourvedre, grenache and syrah blend was fruit forward, but nothing like the pop in your kisser from the Luchador.
There are some amazing values coming out of Spain recently, Jumilla in particular. If you come across Panarroz in the wine aisle or another from this growing region, pick-up a sampler and see what you think.
