White 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…
I was first introduced to Matthiasson wines at the Wine Bloggers Conference last year inNapa. As part of the tasting on the 1st day, Jill Matthiasson pouring their white wine for a “speed tasting” event in the afternoon of the first day. Speed tasting, as I so quickly found out, is like speed dating. Winemakers wind through the room, stopping at each table along the way, and have only a few minutes to pour their wines and tell the table about them. So, you can imagine that many wines got lost in the shuffle, unless the winemaker or designated pourer is overly charming, very odd or wearing something funny. Or, they could grab your attention the old fashioned way – earning it through a damn fine wine. Two producers did that for me – Bonny Doon and Matthiasson wines.
I won’t get into too much detail here about Randall
Grahm from Bonny Doon as he’s able to get a lot of publicity on his own (and I’ve written about him many times before), but I would like to share a little bit about Matthiasson and why I think they get it right.First and foremost, it’s about the wine. If you don’t have a wine worth celebrating, you don’t get it. Plain and simple. End of story. Please don’t market to me or try to convince as to why you think your wine is better than it is. Matthiasson has those wines worthy of celebration. Their white wine was the #1 stand-out wine for me over three full days and nights of tasting Napa wines, totalling in the hundreds I’m sure, but, as you can imagine, I lost count somewhere along the way.
Second, I bought some of their white wine a few weeks back and received a typed card that I thought was nice, but probably just a formality to include along with the wine. Personally, I would have been fine with just getting the wine, so I thought it was a nice gesture and I’m enough of a loyalist that I thought I’d read the card….”Thank you for your purchase…we recommend waiting a few weeks…thanks again for all your support…congrats on becoming a dad!” Wait. What? A personalized note? A winery that took the time to not only remember that we just had our first baby boy, but to also include a congratulations in my order? Unbelievable.
Now the marketer in me comes out – that one line, that one very simple line, the one that Jill probably threw in simply because of who she is, not because she wants to score points with me, will keep me loyal to Matthiasson for a very long time. Now, to be fair, we met at the Wine Bloggers Conference, chatted a bit, tried to coordinate a trip for me to help them with harvest…but, in the end, we’re not life long friends or extended family or anything like that. I am a customer, a blogger and someone who has connected with Jill on occasion. To you, Jill, I’d just like to say thank you for treating me not like a customer, but, rather, someone who has chosen to take this journey with you, albeit on the sidelines as I watch you all make magnificent wines.
Now, those two things may seem trite to some of you – a good wine and a nice note, but, if you go back and read my post on what not to do (Tips for winery tasting rooms – on my soapbox), you’ll see that what the Matthiasson’s provided me is not typical in the wine world. That’s not to say that some wineries don’t provide the human touch, especially small niche wineries, but, if there’s one plea I could make to all wineries – sometimes it pays to act like a small winery, to sincerely believe that every customer that walks through your door, whether they be there physically or through the internet, is critical to the success of your business. Be real about it, offer them a great product and you will be rewarded. For those of you already doing this, stay the course.
And to you, Steve and Jill Matthiasson, thank you for making the wines you do and for sharing them with care. I look forward to being a loyal customer for a long time to come.
More praise for Matthiasson wine:
Continue reading about Matthiasson wine – someone who truly gets it
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…
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…
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
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
Again with the cheeses – I love this! Whole Foods is outdoing themselves with the cheese recommendations this year. And all really good selections. Here’s what they suggest in the write-up for today’s wine…
We snatched up every case of this bargain Chilean white, bottled by legendary Bordeaux winemakers. Boxwood and exotic fruit with minerality and lean elegance are hints of an extraordinary terroir in the foothills of the Andes. Sip with Oysters or a knob of Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog cheese to bring out its juiciness.
Personal letter to Doug Bell:
Dear Doug,
Please keep including the delicious and clearly hand-picked cheese recommendations. If this were a cheese blog, I would give you very high marks.
Sincerely,
RJ’s Wine Blog
That oughta do it…now off to write my letter to Santa.
Oh wait…there’s a wine this week too, I almost forgot – the 2008 Los Vascos Domaines Barons De Rothschild (Lafite) Special Selection Sauvignon Blanc. One of my favorite whites on the Whole Foods Wine Holiday Top Ten List, it’s a cool combination of elements. On the nose, star fruit, blood orange, apricot and minerals, particularly a zinc quality that gives it a nice edge. Minerals continue in the mouth, but the fruit switches to more lemon and grapefruit. Overall, a light and crisp Sauvignon Blanc, but just creamy enough that I understand why it was included on a holiday wine list. This is a very nice white to have around in the afternoon as relatives are trickling in for the festivities, right before you switch over to a Pinot Noir.
What you should do: 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
NOTE: this wine was sent to me as a free sample.
Nice to see an old familiar brand on the Whole Foods Holiday Top Ten wine list again this year – M. Chapoutier. Back on the 2008 list, Doug Bell at Whole Foods included the 2007 M. Chapoutier Belleruche Côtes-Du-Rhône Rouge. This year, it’s a white from the same producer, the 2008 M. Chapoutier Belleruche Special Selection Côtes-Du-Rhône Blanc.
The first most noticeable thing about the M. Chapoutier wines is the use of braille on their labels, something I hadn’t seen before last year. According to the M. Chapoutier website: The expression of an assertive, confident personality, Braille has been present since 1996 on all M. CHAPOUTIER labels. Far from being anecdotic, this symbol draws its origin from the very history of the Hermitage vineyard. Maurice Monier de La Sizeranne, owner of the plot of the Hermitage, la Sizeranne, is also the inventor of the first version of abbreviated Braille. The trademark pays tribute to this man but also expresses the desire to reach out to and include all people with sight-impairments, lovers of good wines.
As we all know labels don’t make the wine, but there are some cool enough labels out there that you just can’t ignore them and this one is one of the most unique. But, what about the wine? On the nose, lemon, melon and apricot – a nice blend of fruits, not too complex, but not one dimensional either. Quite dry on the mouth, drier than I expected, given the fruits on the aroma, but with dry, I expected it to be crisper than it was. Also, noticed a bit of a bitter note on the finish…but nothing to make me shy away from this wine. Overall, I enjoyed it and thought it was a nice, balanced white.
What Whole Foods has to say about it: A highly respected family vintner brings us this authentic, floral special selection White with a loving sense of place. Try its apple, lime and white pepper notes with roasted veggies or pork, or indulge with Amadeus Austrian Select cheese and you’ll swear you’re eating fondue.
Of all the wines on the holiday list this year, this is the one that was the furthest off in terms of what I picked up vs. what Whole Foods picked up. If you’ve had this wine, let me know what you pulled out of the wine and we’ll compare notes.
What you should do: 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
NOTE: This wine was sent to me as a free sample.
We briefly interrupt the Whole Foods Holiday Top Ten List for this special post on the 2008 Pancake Cellars Big Day White, Paso Robles, California.
For those of you who have followed this blog in it’s first year of existence, you’ll know that I’ve spent some time trying to figure out why certain wines are of interest to people and why others are not. The biggest surprise in that effort is the 2007 Pancake Cellars. A year ago, I picked up a bottle at Trader Joe’s based on a recommendation by my buddy Jason over at Jason’s Wine Blog (yes, we were both very clever when we named our blogs) and because it had a campy label and a $5 price tag.
Turned out it was pretty good. Not the second coming of white wine, but not a throw-away either and, if I remember correctly, I even picked up another bottle. Then I moved on and kind of forgot about it…until I started checking the numbers and discovered that the 2007 was my most visited wine review throughout the whole year. And I have no idea why. If you’re out there, you Pancake Cellar seekers, let me know what’s so intriguing for you. Is this a $5 cult bottle of wine? Is it the label that you find too compelling to ignore? Or, is it just a wildly popular wine at Trader Joe’s? Would really like to know if you want to share your thoughts.
I’m not sure if the 2008 will strike as much of a chord as the 2007 or if those of you who seek out this wine will take a liking to, um, my not so favorable review of the 2008, but will be interesting to see what happens to this year’s post. I’ll let you know what I find.
In the meantime, let’s get into it.
On the nose, this is lemon, light honey and cantaloupe, with an overwhelming amount of tap water – kind of a mix of nothing, fluoride and a little copper. No other way for me to explain it…it’s almost like I made a light lemon / cantaloupe spritzer and then accidentally knocked it over into a sink full of fresh tap water. Most of the watery part of the wine went away in the mouth and it turned into a full-lemon lemonade, as in everything – the juice, the seeds, the pith, the rind, maybe even some branches of the lemon tree…like a bitter lemonade, maybe made by a kid who forgot to add all the sugar and had to eventually board up his corner lemonade stand for fear of being foreclosed on by his neighbors. Not good. One dimensional, hot, bitter and unbalanced.
This year’s blend is a mix of 47% Pinot Blanc, 35% Pinot Gris, 12% Grenache Blanc and 6% Riesling, which feels like either the blending was a mix of what was left or the tasting somehow took a turn that couldn’t be reversed. Pancake Cellars does have a track record of blending several varietals (in 2007, it was 60% Sauvignon Blanc, 27% Chardonnay, 12% Gewurtztraminer and 1% Pinot Blanc), but this year it just ended up to be a bit of a mess.
It’s really too bad, too. I remember liking the 2007 on this and was pretty fired up when my wife called me from Trader Joe’s asking “was it Pancake Cellars you were looking for?” We have one more bottle of it and I will pit it against some other whites in a blind tasting, maybe in December, but, for now, not that enthused about it.
What you should do: For the faithful, pick it up, see what you think. At around $5 ($5.99 in Washington), it can never hurt. But, $5 wine is a tricky category and I would argue that it sometimes takes as many or more bottles to find one you like as it would to find a $20 bottle you’ll enjoy again and again.
My rating: 80
To be fair, bjwdad over at Cork’d, gave it a 92. Although I cannot understand how he got there, under any circumstances, it does speak to the differences in palettes and, at the end of the day, wine still comes down to personal taste, no matter what anyone tells you.
Here’s his review of the 2008 Pancake Cellars…Trader Joe’s purchase, 13.7% alcohol. Blend is 47% Pinot Blanc, 35% Pinot Gris, 12% Grenache Blanc, 6% Riesling. Quite different from last year’s. The floral nose presents mineral terroir, peach, melon, honeysuckle, citrus & orange blossoms. VERY nice. The taste is at first kind of Chard sour, but that melts into a round, acidic tart-sweet experience. Hard to put a finger (or taste bud) on exact tastes, but they’re simply GOOD. I’m satisfied with that, and the price beats any comparable white!
Continue reading about Pancake Cellars 2008 Big Day White Paso Robles, California
I’ve been really impressed with the tasting and food pairing notes this year from Doug Bell and team over at Whole Foods. For the Sutter Home Muscat, Whole Foods has this to say about it:
The retro label is a tip-off—you’ll find comfort in this bottle. Honeysuckle and peaches make it playful for occasions like brunch or dessert when you need a wine on the sweet side. Cowgirl Creamery Organic Mount Tam or Rogue Creamery’s Anniversary Blue cheese makes the wine’s sugary side divine.
Cowgirl Creamery Mount Tam and Rogue Creamery Blue Cheese? Are they kidding? How’d they know these are two of my favorite things? In San Francisco, my wife and I always went to Cowgirl Creamery at the Ferry building and this was the cheese we went ho
me with, especially when we needed something for a dinner party. On top of that, the Rogue Creamery is a few miles from where we got married in Oregon and their blue cheese is out of this world. Or, better said, the best in this world (literally, they’ve been voted as making the best blue cheese in the world).It’s like Whole Foods somehow tapped our phone lines over the last few years, then rigged it so I would start wine blogging and direct some of my focus on Whole Foods – brilliant! Very interesting…and if I were a paranoid person, I would put a lot of merit in that idea, but I am neither paranoid nor inclined to spend ti
me on such a silly idea. Unless, of course it’s true, then I’d have to hire a PI and bug their phone lines right back and…uh, well, okay maybe not.Unfortunately, I found myself focusing more on the cheese than the wine, because this wine was not to my liking. In short, I found it be one-dimensional and offer not much more than a bottle of spiced honey. Very sweet, too sweet for my taste and a wine that I won’t be picking up again. I did struggle for more to say about it, but after more sips than I would have liked, I just kept coming back to honey with a little bit of spice, like nutmeg or cinnamon.
Now, Whole Foods di
d nail the fact that this wine would go very well with the Mount Tam and the Rogue blue cheese, but I’ve had enough of both of those cheeses to know that a lot of whites can hang out with these near-perfect cheeses. I would probably even give the Muscat a few extra points in my rating if I tasted it with the cheeses, but I didn’t, so will settle into a lower score of 82.What you should do: 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
NOTE: this wine was sent to me as a free sample.
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