1999 Beringer Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon (93 Points)

DATE CONSUMED

Monday, December 31, 2012

VINTAGE

1999

WINERY/PRODUCER

Beringer Vineyards

WINE NAME

Private Reserve

TYPE OF WINE

Red

COMPOSITION

100% Cabernet Sauvignon?

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

N/A

REGION/A.V.A. (American Viticultural Area)

Napa Valley, California

ALCOHOL CONTENT

13.9%

PRICE PAID

This wine was a gift from a friend of a friend when we had a dinner party at our house about a year ago.

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

See above

BOUQUET

We decanted this bottle for a couple of hours since the wine’s been bottled-up for the past eleven years-ish.  Like most mature/well-aged wines, the exuberant fruit aromas of young wines is less prominent and the oak and earthy elements become more prevalent.  There are fruit and spice characteristics present on the nose (especially red and black fruits, along with savory herbs and black pepper), but the Napa Valley’s terrior and oak is more up-front than the fruits and spices.

 

TASTING NOTES

This is a FABULOUS Napa Cab at this point in time; it is mellow, smooth, rich, creamy, oaky, earthy, and well-balanced with the perfect amount of fruit and acidity, even after thirteen+ years after harvest.  There are the usual Napa Cab black and red fruits (plums, blackberries, blueberries, and black cherries), a basket or two of savory herbs like sage and rosemary, gorgeously smooth, silky, perfectly-sweet oak and tannins, and an earthiness that just about any mushroom-loving wine drinker would die for.  As wines age, they begin to lose their "fruitiness" and reveal more of their middle-aged characteristics of leather, earth, meats, minerals, etc.  And although I love a big, bold, fruity red wine as much as anybody, sometimes it's nice to experience a mature, evolved, leathery, meaty red, especially if it's being drunk with a fabulous steak smothered in a mushroom medley as this wine was.

Unlike most people, we try to buy wines and/or discover them (or as we receive them from our five winery wine clubs) and drink them from the oldest vintage to the newest vintage to allow the wines to age, mature, mellow, and develop to their fullest potential (at least to the fullest potential that our patience will allow).  Is there anything better than friends/relatives who can afford to bring over beautifully-aged wines when we host a dinner party (e.g. the wine being reviewed here)?!?!  In addition to this wine, we also opened and drank a 1998 Veuve Clicquot La Grand Dame to celebrate New Years Eve (this Cab Sav was MUCH better than the over-priced Champagne, which was also a gift from good friends about a year ago).  If we had the means and the room, I would LOVE to buy fine wines by the case and allow them to mature and develop for a decade or more.  This Napa Cab is a perfect example of how/why one should (if they can afford it) allow a wine with the appropriate structure to beautifully age, mellow, and develop over time to allow the wine to fully express itself to it’s fullest potential.

  

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We drank this wine with rib eye steaks smothered in Kosher salt, black pepper, and Herbs de Provence and (needless to say) grilled to perfection (medium-rare).  This fantastic Cab Sav paired beautifully with the rib eyes and would pair equally well with just about any red meat dish, like braised lamb shanks, prime rib, etc.

AGING POTENTIAL

Thirteen years after harvest, this wine is drinking beautifully right now and will probably continue to age, mature, develop, and evolve gorgeously for another ten to twenty years.  If you happen to have this wine in your cellar, I can’t imagine it getting any better than it is right now.  But like any good Napa Cab or Bordeaux, it has serious “legs” and will indeed be eminently drinkable for years to come.

SCORE (on a 100-point scale)

93

Q.P.R. (QUALITY-TO-PRICE RATIO) (POOR, FAIR, GOOD, EXCELLENT)

GOOD (even though I don’t know the exact price paid for this wine, I’m assuming this wine cost $100ish)

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.beringer.com/

2008 Novy Family Winery Syrah (Rosella's Vineyard) (91 Points)

Date Consumed
Sunday, December 30, 2012

Vintage
2008

Winery/Producer
Novy Family Winery

Composition
100% Syrah

Vineyard Designation
Rosella's Vineyard

Region/A.V.A. (American Viticultural Area)
Santa Lucia Highlands, California

Alcohol Content
14.2%

Price Paid
$23

Where/When Bought and/or How Procured
We visited the Russian River Valley in October 2011 and after having read many good things about Novy and Siduri wines and never having visited them before, we decided that they would be on our short list of wineries that we had to try.

Bouquet
This Syrah's nose exhibits suggestions that this will be a very Rhone-styled red, with dark fruits, stones and minerals, earth, and hints of oak and spices.  The wine's bouquet foreshadows a Syrah that will not be a typically overripe, jammy, high-alcohol California Syrah but one that will be well balanced.  Let's see..........

Tasting Notes
Sure enough, the bouquet was an excellent precursor to how the wine would taste.  This is a rich, creamy, spicy Rhone-ish Syrah with dark fruit (plums, blackberries, and black cherries), sweet, creamy oak and tannins, fantastic minerality, barrels of spices (black pepper, thyme, Herbs de Provence, and rosemary), all supported with truck loads of earthy deliciousness that allows Rosella's Vineyard's terrior to shine brightly.  The Santa Lucia Highlands is part of the Monterey AVA, which is much cooler than Napa and some of California's warmer AVAs (think of the east side of Paso Robles), which partly explains why this isn't an overripe California Fruit Bomb (CFB).

This is a full-bodied, rich, creamy, deliciously well-balanced Syrah with a deep flavor profile and a long, lingering finish.  As I've alluded to several times already, this is not your typical CFB; this is a beautifully well-crafted, sublime, minerally, rich, delicious cool weather Syrah.  It's not too sweet, it has wonderful spicy and mineral elements that gorgeously complement the dark fruit profile, and it's smooth and well-balanced.  And at only $23, it's one of California's best bargains.  If we had the room and the money, I would have loved to bring home 10 to 20 cases of this lovely beauty!

Pairing Suggestions
We paired this wine with lamb chops topped with a roasted garlic and parsley pesto (one of my favorite lamb dishes EVER).  Needless to say, the Syrah went beautifully with the lamb, as most Rhone varietals do. This wine would also go well with a grilled rib eye smothered in Kosher salt, black pepper, and Herbs de Provence, as well as braised lamb shanks and just about any other red meat (prime rib, beef tenderloin and/or short ribs, etc.).

Aging Potential
This wine is drinking gorgeously right now and will probably continue to age, mature, and develop well for another ten to fifteen years.

Score (on a 100-point scale)
91

Q.P.R. (Quality-to-Price-Ratio) (Poor, Fair, Good, Excellent)
EXCELLENT

Winery Website
http://www.novyfamilywines.com/

2007 Windward Barrel Select Monopole Pinot Noir (94 Points)

DATE CONSUMED

Friday, December 21, 2012

VINTAGE

2007

WINERY/PRODUCER

Windward Vineyard

WINE NAME

Barrel Select Monopole

TYPE OF WINE

Red

COMPOSITION

100% Pinot Noir

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

Estate grown and bottled

REGION/A.V.A. (American Viticultural Area)

Paso Robles, California

ALCOHOL CONTENT

14.3%

PRICE PAID

$61.78 (includes sales tax and shipping); regular retail price for non-wine club members is $72

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

We received this bottle in November 2012 from Windward’s wine club

BOUQUET

This wine has a GORGEOUS floral bouquet, exhibiting violets and other flower elements, along with red fruit, spices, earth, and just a hint of oak on the nose.

 

TASTING NOTES

Since the world didn’t (hasn’t yet?) exploded or been invaded by aliens or our sun hasn’t gone super nova, Arthur and I decided to celebrate by having a wonderful bottle of red wine with our dinner at home.  And what better way to celebrate our continued existence than with a bottle of fabulous Pinot Noir? 

Windward is a small, 15-acre vineyard/winery on the west side of Paso Robles, which is, generally speaking, NOT what I would call “Pinot Country.”  Yes, California has several incredible Pinot-producing regions, but Paso isn’t one of them (it’s tough to beat the Russian River Valley and the Santa Rita Hills for phenomenal Pinots, to name a couple).  But some how, some way, Marc and Maggie are able to coax every last ounce of quality from their Pinot grapes to assemble, by far, the best Pinot Noir that has/can/been made in Paso Robles.

Paso is much more famous for their Zins and Rhone varietals, but Windward Pinots can match and/or exceed some of the best Pinots on the planet.  This Pinot has remarkable depth, elegance, nuance, and complexity, fronted first by delicious red and black fruit like plums, black cherries, black berries, and raspberries, supported by black pepper and savory herbs like rosemary, sage, and thyme.  There is the PERFECT amount of oak (it’s there, but in the background, not calling attention to itself but lending support and encouragement to the fruits, spices, and earthiness, kind of like Bill Wyman with the Rolling Stones), along with an earthy, terrior-driven creamy loaminess that adds heft and complexity to the flavor profile.

This Pinot is flawlessly well-balanced, with sweet, juicy, delicious fruit, nice zingy acidity, creamy oak and earthy elements, a gorgeous nose, a smooth, elegant, lingering finish, and a flavor profile with depth and complexity that 90+% of the world’s Pinots must envy. 

Depending on the weather/rain/other variables for a given vintage, Windward’s Pinots can be extraordinarily Burgundian-like (i.e. 2006 vintage (light-bodied, feminine, delicate, fantastic beyond belief)) or North Sonoma Coast-like (i.e. 2007 vintage (intense, brooding, dark, deeply flavored and masculine in style)).  But whatever the weather was like before, during, and/or after harvest, Marc Goldberg is an absolute master of the Pinot Noir grape.  Considering the quality of Pinot Noirs that Marc and Maggie can muster in a region that is NOT conducive to world-class Pinots is truly amazing.  I’m beginning to wonder what Marc and Maggie could do with the Chardonnay grape since they can perform unbelievable miracles with the Pinot Noir grape in a non-Pinot region.  Marc/Maggie: please contact Tablas Creek for some Chardonnay cuttings; I’m POSITIVE that you would/could probably make world-class Chardonnays in Paso as well.

 

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We paired this fabulous wine with a huge rib eye steak generously seasoned with Kosher salt, freshly-cracked black pepper, and a mild sprinkling of Herbs de Provence and absolutely smothered with a mushroom medley.  Thanks to Pinot’s earthy herbaceousness, the wine paired brilliantly with the mushroom-smothered rib eye.  Because the 2007 vintage is very Sonoma Coast-like, I would steer clear of duck, salmon, chicken, and scallop dishes, which the 2006 vintage would pair beautifully with.  With the serious, dark, brooding, spicy 2007 vintage, I would stick with red meats to pair with this Pinot, such as lamb (racks/shanks/chops) and beef (just about any version will do).

AGING POTENTIAL

This wine is drinking gorgeously right now, but thanks to its structure, I would imagine this wine will continue to age gracefully and beautifully for another ten to twenty years.

SCORE (on a 100-point scale)

94

Q.P.R. (QUALITY-TO-PRICE RATIO) (POOR, FAIR, GOOD, EXCELLENT)

GOOD – EXCELLENT

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.windwardvineyard.com/

2005 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel (91 Points)

DATE CONSUMED

Saturday, December 8, 2012

VINTAGE

2005

WINERY/PRODUCER

Tablas Creek Vineyard

WINE NAME

Esprit de Beaucastel

TYPE OF WINE

Red blend

COMPOSITION

44% Mourvedre, 26% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 5% Counoise

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

Grown and bottled on the estate

REGION/A.V.A. (American Viticultural Area)

Paso Robles, California

ALCOHOL CONTENT

14.5%

PRICE PAID

$56.31 through Tablas Creek’s Collector’s Edition wine club, which includes tax and shipping (this wine is designated as a “library wine” and carries, at this day/age, a retail price of $70 and is offered only to TC’s Collector’s Edition members at a discounted price of $52.50).

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

We received this wine with TC’s Collector’s Edition Fall allocation (a case of current and library releases) in September, 2012.

BOUQUET

This wine exhibits beautiful floral, spice, earth, and fruit characteristics, such as dark fruit, savory herbs, earth, and a touch of oak.

 

TASTING NOTES

I LOVE drinking perfectly-aged wines, especially since most restaurants serve (at most, generally speaking) two to three year-old releases (good luck going into a chain restaurant and ordering a 2005 red blend off of their wine list; most restaurant reds are 2010 to 2015 vintages).  That is exactly why we almost always bring our own wines to restaurants; their wines are generally way too young and way too warm.  I cannot tell you how many times I’ve dined at “nice” restaurants where they serve 2010 reds at 80 degrees.  Whenever we go out to dinner, we refrigerate our wines about two hours before we hit the road so that by the time we have our main courses the wine has had time to “warm-up” to the proper serving temperature of 60 degrees-ish.

This is a nice Paso red blend.  Being served seven years after harvest, we properly cooled-down the bottle and let it air in our Burgundy glasses for about an hour before dinner.

Being close to half Mourvedre, there’s a nice meatiness to this blend, beautifully accented by Grenache’s and Syrah’s fruitiness and spiciness.  This blend exhibits significant heft and substance, with gorgeous red and black fruit (plums, raspberries, black cherries and berries) and a healthy dose of savory herbs like rosemary and thyme, in addition to black pepper.  There’s a depth-of-flavor profile that goes long and deep, keeping this wine very interesting and delicious from start to finish.

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We paired this wine with pan-grilled rib eyes spiced with Kosher salt, freshly-cracked pepper, and Herbs de Provence.  I had a feeling this was going to be a rich, creamy, spicy red blend and sure enough, it was!  So the spiced rib eyes went PERFECTLY with the wine, though it would also pair well with most lamb and red beef dishes.

AGING POTENTIAL

Even though this wine is seven-plus years past harvest, there is an element of structure (acidity, alcohol, sugar, etc.) that allows this wine to shine as a “youthful” red blend.  In addition to yummy red and black fruit, significant spiciness, creamy oak, shovels of earthiness, and a depth-of-flavor most reds would envy, this wine has only begun to show is true potential.  Like all Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastels, this wine is meant to age and cellar for years.  It was probably fantastic two to four years ago but most likely has only improved with age (like me?!?!).  I would imagine this wine will continue to age and mature beautifully for another 10-plus years.

I noticed that this wine improved quite a bit with aeration.  If you have this bottle in your cellar or wine cooler/fridge, decant this wine for at least one to two hours; it only improves and evolves with every second of aeration.

SCORE (on a 100-point scale)

91 Points

Q.P.R. (QUALITY-TO-PRICE RATIO) (POOR, FAIR, GOOD, EXCELLENT)

GOOD (based on the library release price)

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.tablascreek.com/

2007 Brian Carter Cellars Byzance (92 Points)

DATE CONSUMED

Sunday, November 11, 2012

VINTAGE

2007

WINERY/PRODUCER

Brian Carter Cellars

WINE NAME

Byzance

TYPE OF WINE

Red blend

COMPOSITION

51% Grenache, 25% Syrah, 20% Mourvedre, 2% Counoise, 2% Cinsaut

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

N/A

REGION/A.V.A. (American Viticultural Area)

Columbia Valley, Washington

ALCOHOL CONTENT

14.5%

PRICE PAID

$30

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

We got this bottle at Total Wine & More when we exchanged a couple of bottles of overpriced and underperforming Napa Valley Cabernets in October, 2012.

BOUQUET

This wine has a GORGEOUS bouquet, exhibiting floral elements, dark fruit, earth, spices, and just a hint of a suggestion of a rumor of oak.  I don’t know what it is about red wines that have fantastic floral characteristics, but when I pop a cork and the first thing that hits my nasal sensory receptors is a bouquet of flowers, I just can’t wait to taste that Bad Boy!  Needless to say, I mostly look forward to a wine’s flavor profile, but every once in a while, I sample a wine that has such a beautiful bouquet that I’d almost be satiated by simply sniffing and quaffing a glass of wonderfully odoriferous wine; this wine comes JUST that close..........

 

TASTING NOTES

Upfront disclosure: I’ve had quite a few wines from Washington, but I’ve NEVER had a Southern Rhone-style blend from The Great Northwest.  I’ve had dozens/hundreds/thousands? of Rhone-style blends from California (not to mention France), but for being my first Rhone-style experience from Washington, I was blown away by how good this red blend is.

This red is FANTASTICALLY well-balanced, showing 25% wonderful fruit, 25% fantastic structure, 25% perfect spice and depth-of-flavor, and 25% faultless terrior/earth, not to mention 100% deliciousness!  This red is almost full-bodied (leaning ever so slightly left to medium-bodied) and exhibits fantastic red/dark fruit flavors like plums, black cherries and berries, along with wonderfully savory herbs like sage and rosemary.  After the fruit and spice elements, there’s a PERFECT essence of terrior; I had never even heard of Brian Carter Cellars, but I’m assuming, based on the quality of this wine, the full-retail price, and the quality-to-price ratio, that this is one of Washington’s best bargains.  Like any self-respecting French or Spanish or Italian red wine, there’s an earthiness that reveals where this wine came from and how well-made the wine was assembled both in the vineyard and in the cellar.

We all know that Washington can produce fantastic Cabs, Syrahs, Bordeaux-style blends, Rieslings, and Chardonnays, but who knew that the Columbia Valley could produce Southern Rhone-style blends that could actually compete with (and in many cases, surpass) Chateauneuf-du-Pap from France?!?!  This is a tasty, creamy, earthy, spicy, (slightly) oaky, fruity, GORGEOUSLY well-made red blend that impressed me beyond belief.  Bottom line: this is one of the best American-made Southern Rhone-style blends I’ve ever had.

What truly blows me away about this wine is that not only is it delicious-beyond-belief but that it also is beautifully well-structured, well-balanced, well-priced, well-earthed, and well-spiced with an elegant, lingering finish.  Brian Carter: I don’t know who you are and I’ve never heard of you until 20 days ago or so, but I love you beyond belief!  After just 1/2 a bottle of your Byzance, I have become one of your biggest fans and I look forward to experiencing more of your wines in the very near future.  Worse case scenario, I’ll be enjoying your 2007 Byzance over and over and over again in the near future, thanks to Total Wine & More.

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We paired this wine with a marinated lamb loin (balsamic vinegar, orange juice, Dijon mustard, and a variety of fresh/dried herbs), along with a mushroom medley and fresh Brussels sprouts.  This wine paired PERFECTLY with the lamb loin and would also pair well with just about any other red beef dish (grilled steaks, prime rib, lamb shanks/chops, pot roast, etc.). 

AGING POTENTIAL

This wine could probably not drink much better than it is drinking right now, but for another five to ten years this wine will probably continue to age, develop, mature, and mellow beautifully.  It’s drinking GORGEOUSLY right now but may even get better over the next five years or so.  Only if I had that kind of patience.......

SCORE (on a 100-point scale)

92

Q.P.R. (QUALITY-TO-PRICE RATIO) (POOR, FAIR, GOOD, EXCELLENT)

GOOD – EXCELLENT

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.briancartercellars.com/

2005 Abelis Carthago Red Blend (100% Tempranillo?) (88 Points)

DATE CONSUMED

Sunday, November 04, 2012

VINTAGE

2005

WINERY/PRODUCER

Abelis Carthago

WINE NAME

Lui Selection?

TYPE OF WINE

Red blend of Tempranillo (as best I can tell)

COMPOSITION

100% Toro Tempranillo (as best I can tell)

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

N/A

REGION/A.V.A. (American Viticultural Area)

Toro, Castilla Leon, Spain (as best I can tell)

ALCOHOL CONTENT

15%

PRICE PAID

$12.99 (with free shipping when four or more bottles were purchased)

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

We bought four bottles of this wine on winestilsoldout.com in October, 2012.

BOUQUET

This wine reveals classic European characteristics, especially a very earthy nose.  There is some dark fruit aromatics going on here, as well as suggestions of herbs and oak.  But whereas a lot of American red wines have VERY fruity, spicy, oaky bouquets and are somewhat one- or two-dimensional, this wine exhibits VERY European traits, especially as it pertains to being well-balanced and multi-dimensional.

TASTING NOTES

This wine pours DARK; it’s almost black out of the bottle (like a Petite Sirah).  Being a 2005, we poured this wine (after cooling-down) in large Pinot glasses to aerate properly before dinner.

This is a nice Spanish Tempranillo.  There’s dark fruit (especially plums and blackberries) up front, along with TONS of terrior/earth, as well as savory herbs and black pepper.  This is a rich, creamy, well-balanced Spanish red; it’s not too fruity, not too oaky, not too spicy, not too “hot” (high in alcohol), and although almost impossible, not too earthy (I like earthy wines that exhibit gorgeous terrior, in case y’all haven’t noticed). 

As far as I know, I’ve only had one other red wine from Toro/Castilla Leon, which to this day is my all-time favorite Spanish red wine (Pago Florentino, which is incredibly delicious, rich, spicy, creamy, and oaky, all in perfect balance and harmony).  Fair or not, I compare any/every red Spanish wine to Pago Florentino and, unfortunately (again, fair or not), they’ve all fallen short of that high bar that I judge every red Spanish wine against.  If I had never experienced Pago Florentino, this wine would probably be my new Spanish “favorite.”  We’ve had many Spanish Riojas at Michelin-rated restaurants that were, at best, just so-so.  And at the price, this Temp is difficult to beat.

As is common with European wine labels, it’s difficult to tell exactly where this wine came from and what exactly is inside the bottle.  As best I can tell, this is a blend of several Tempranillos.  I may be wrong (or as Billy Joel once sang, “You May Be Right”), but I do believe this is 100% Tempranillo from Toro in Castilla Leon.

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We paired this wine with a pan-seared rib eye nicely spiced with Kosher salt, freshly-cracked black pepper, and Herbs de Provence.  This wine went beautifully with the steak; the salt, pepper, and Herbs de Provence nicely complimented the wine’s spiciness and herbal essence.  This wine would also pair well with just about any other grilled steak, as well as lamb, richly-flavored stews, and, of course, tapas.

AGING POTENTIAL

At seven years after harvest, this is still a young, vibrant, exuberant wine.  I believe this wine has the “legs” to age beautifully for another ten to twenty years, thanks to wonderful structure (acid, alcohol, sugar, etc.).

SCORE (on a 100-point scale)

88

Q.P.R. (QUALITY-TO-PRICE RATIO) (POOR, FAIR, GOOD, EXCELLENT)

GOOD

WINERY WEBSITE

Unknown 

2009 Babcock Winery Pinot Noir Rita's Earth (86 Points)

DATE CONSUMED

Sunday, October 21, 2012

VINTAGE

2009

WINERY/PRODUCER

Babcock Winery

WINE NAME

N/A

TYPE OF WINE

Red

COMPOSITION

100% Pinot Noir

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

Rita’s Earth

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

N/A

REGION/A.V.A. (American Viticultural Area)

Santa Rita Hills, California

ALCOHOL CONTENT

13.6%

PRICE PAID

We bought this wine at BevMo during their 5Cent Sale (buy one bottle at regular price ($22) and get the second bottle for a nickel), resulting in a net price of about $11 per bottle (an outrageous bargain for a Santa Rita Hills (SRH) Pinot Noir, assuming the wine is a quality, typical SRH Pinot).

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

We almost NEVER buy a bottle of wine at a store and drink it right away.  Most of our whites are cellar aged for at least a year and most of our reds are cellar aged for a couple of years or more.  But since we bought this wine on sale and the sale ends tomorrow, we had to open this wine WAY before we normally would.  At home and at restaurants where we bring our own wine, we would never drink a 2009 Pinot this soon after harvest.  We just recently started drinking our 2008 Pinots and will continue to drink our 2008s for another year or two or three.  But again, since BevMo’s sale ends tomorrow, we had to see if this wine was worth buying a case or two based on the price-to-quality ratio.

BOUQUET

This wine exhibits classic SRH Pinot traits.  As I’ve said/written before, there’s a certain “je ne sais quoi” about Pinots from the SRH that’s difficult to explain.  If you’ve had several/many Pinots from the SRH, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.  SRH Pinots exhibit a sense of terrior perhaps better than any other varietal/region on the planet.  I can usually tell within nanoseconds if a Pinot hails from the SRH.  Melville, Sanford, Brewer-Clifton, and Alma Rosa (just to name a few) make fantastic Pinots from the SRH where after one sniff or sip you know that there’s a bottle/glass of SRH Pinot in front of you.

This wine exhibits the usual Pinot aromatic traits, such as spices (pepper and savory herbs), red fruit, and tons of earth/terrior, not to mention those “je ne sais quoi” SRH traits.

    

TASTING NOTES

We’ve been to Babcock’s tasting room a couple of times over the years and have always found at least one bottle worth taking home.  We absolutely LOVE the Pinots from the SRH and thoroughly enjoy going wine tasting in the SRH.  So when I saw this wine on sale at BevMo, I almost squealed like a pre-pubescent girl (just like I squealed when I saw BevMo putting Robert Hall’s 2007 Port on their 5Cent Sale a few months ago (one of our favorite ports in the world)).

Again, this wine is WAY too young to drink.  It’s a bit tight and hasn’t fully matured/opened-up, but it’s still a tasty SRH Pinot.  Up-front there’s red fruit (raspberries and sour cherries), savory herbs and black pepper, along with 500,000,000,000,000 pounds of that precious, gorgeous, “je ne sais quoi” SRH terrior.  There’s also just about the perfect amount of oak (not too much, not too little).  And as previously mentioned, there’s plenty of earthy elements, vis-à-vis that invaluable SRH terrior.  If I’ve hammered the SRH terrior to death, please forgive me.  If you’ve tasted Pinots from Melville, Sanford, and their various neighbors, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.  If you haven’t enjoyed a Pinot Noir from the SRH, do yourself a favor and get your hands on one of the better SRH Pinots (Melville and Sanford) and find-out what I’m talking about!

I previously scored Babcock’s 2007 Grand Cuvee Pinot 91 points and their 2006 Nook & Cranny Syrah 90 points, so obviously Babock is capable of making quality SRH wines.  Though this wine is good, it doesn’t quite reach those previously-reviewed wines level of excellence.  Rita’s Earth lack the depth-of-flavor that a fantastic SRH Pinot should possess.  At $11 a bottle (at BevMo during their 5Cent sale), this is a tough wine to beat.  At the regular price of $22 a bottle, I’d rather “go” with one of my favorite sub-$10 bargain reds that are criminally good for the price.

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We paired this wine with an Italian pork roast stuffed with herbs and roasted in the oven for hours until it completely fell apart (it was broken down via a spoon).  This wine paired very well with the pork roast and would also pair well with just about any red meat dish as well (steak and lamb, for instance).

AGING POTENTIAL

As previously mentioned, this is a very young wine that should be aged/cellared for at least another year or two.  Because the wine is nicely structured (young tannins, low alcohol, not-too-sweet sugar level, etc.), it should continue to age and mature well for another five to ten years.  

SCORE (on a 100-point scale)

86

Q.P.R. (QUALITY-TO-PRICE RATIO) (POOR, FAIR, GOOD, EXCELLENT)

GOOD

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.babcockwinery.com/

Fess Parker Frontier Red Lot No. 111 (87 Points)

DATE CONSUMED

Friday, October 12, 2012

VINTAGE

N.V. (Non-vintage)

WINERY/PRODUCER

Fess Parker Winery

WINE NAME

Frontier Red Lot No. 111

TYPE OF WINE

Red blend

COMPOSITION

36% Syrah, 20% Cinsaut, 12% Petite Sirah, 11% Grenache, 8% Carignane, 6% Tempranillo, 3% Souzao, 2% Counoise, 2% Mourvedre

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

According to Fess’ website, the vineyard sources for this wine are: from the Santa Ynez Valley, 84% Camp Four, 3% Eli’s, and 3% Rodney’s Vineyards and from Paso Robles, 10% French Camp Vineyard.

REGION/A.V.A. (American Viticultural Area)

Santa Barbara County (though the 10% fruit from the French Camp Vineyard in Paso Robles is in San Luis Obispo County)

ALCOHOL CONTENT

According to Fess’ website: 15.6%

According to the label on the wine bottle: 14.9%

PRICE PAID

We got this bottle for free from the wine club with our regular quarterly shipment, though Fess’ website lists this wine for $13 and BevMo sells it for $10 and Total Wine & More sells it for $9.

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

We received this bottle as a “freebie” with our usual quarterly shipment in November, 2011.

BOUQUET

This wine’s bouquet exhibits mostly red fruit (like raspberry and cherries), along with savory herbs and earth.

TASTING NOTES

Fess’ Frontier Red (FR) is ALWAYS an interesting, well-made, delicious, red bargain.  I’ve had FRs that were rich, creamy, earthy, and spicy, like a good Chateauneuf-du-Pape.  The Lot No. 111 (the subject under review here) is quite different from most of the other FRs that I’ve had before.  This is a light-bodied blend that tastes like it’s predominantly made with Grenache.  The addition of Spain’s Tempranillo and Portugal’s Souzao, which I’ve never seen listed as a component on a FR before, seems to add another level of depth and flavor.

Sticking with the “tastes like it’s mostly Grenache” theme, there’s gorgeous red fruits like raspberries, strawberries, and cherries up-front, along with suggestions of secondary dark/black fruits like blackberries and sour cherries.  There’s also a serious savory herb element to this wine as well, along with black pepper.  Oak is barely present and not out-of-balance, along with an earthy and mineral element as well.  The wine has nice acidity and a slightly rustic finish (all in a very good way).

To cut the chase and to describe this wine as expeditiously as possible, imagine taking a Pinot Noir and blending it with a Chateauneuf-du-Pape.  Yeah, the person who would dare do something that sacrilegious should rot in hell for eternity, but it’s just about how I would quickly/easily describe this wonderful, affordable blend!

I noticed while writing these notes that the wine really evolved as it was able to breathe.  When just opened (and as previously mentioned), the Grenache became most apparent.  As the wine breathed and oxidated, the Syrah stepped-up to the plate and said, “Hey, check me out!”  So you may want to decant this wine for an hour or so to allow its aromatic elements to develop.

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We paired this wine with a traditional stew made with a hodge-podge of meats from the freezer (lamb, ham, and pork).  Since there were fresh and rehydrated mushrooms in the mix (along with the usual veggies and tomatoes), the FR went very well with the stew where the mushrooms paired quite nicely with the earthy, spicy elements in the wine.

This wine would also be a fantastic red steak wine and would equally pair well with a spiced pork loin or lamb shanks/chops/racks.

AGING POTENTIAL

Being a non-vintage red blend, this wine is generally meant to be drunk young, though due to its structure, alcohol, and acidity, I think this wine would actually age well for another ten years or so.

SCORE (on a 100-point scale)

87

Q.P.R. (QUALITY-TO-PRICE RATIO) (POOR, FAIR, GOOD, EXCELLENT)

GOOD – EXCELLENT

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.fessparker.com/

2010 Fess Parker Rodney's Vineyard Dry Riesling (88 Points)

DATE CONSUMED

Sunday, October 07, 2012

VINTAGE

2010

WINERY/PRODUCER

Fess Parker Winery

WINE NAME

Dry Riesling

TYPE OF WINE

White

COMPOSITION

100% Riesling

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

Rodney’s Vineyard

REGION/A.V.A. (American Viticultural Area)

Santa Barbara County, California

ALCOHOL CONTENT

12.0%

PRICE PAID

$22.40 for wine club members; $28 retail price

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

We got this wine from Fess’ wine club in March, 2011

BOUQUET

O........M........G!!!!  This wine has an incredibly beautiful bouquet, displaying gorgeous floral elements, along with typical mineral Riesling characteristics.  This wine has such a fantastic nose that it could almost perform double-duty as a perfume.  This is the kind of wine whose bouquet is so beautiful and alluring that I’d be perfectly happy simply sniffing it all day and night long (without taking a single sip).  I’m serious; it’s THAT gorgeous!

TASTING NOTES

The grapes for this wine came from Fess’ estate vineyard, named after Fess’ late son-in-law.  Fess obviously loved his son-in-law because some of Fess’ best wines are sourced from grapes that are grown on the estate (especially Rodney’s Syrah, which is fantastic).  What better way to honor your late, beloved son-in-law than to name a fabulous estate vineyard after him?!?!

This low-alcohol, fresh, crisp Riesling is perfect for summer sipping (in this case, early Autumn, which in Southern California, can easily be confused with Summer).  This is a classic dry Riesling, showing fantastic minerality and floral elements, with a crisp fruit profile showcased by green apples and pears.  There’s also hints/suggestions of spices like white pepper and savory herbs like thyme and rosemary.

 Most wine drinkers have probably never had a dry Riesling.  Generally speaking, the Riesling grapes for dry Rieslings are picked a bit earlier than normal grapes, resulting in lower sugar levels (and, thus, lower alcohol levels), crisp, clean, minerally whites that are extremely food friendly and, if done correctly, delicious beyond belief.

This isn’t the best dry Riesling I’ve ever had; it’s difficult to beat a great German Riesling from Mosel.  But for Santa Barbara County, this one’s tough to beat.

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We paired this wine with a freshly-roasted beet salad with radishes, tomatoes, blue cheese, and Italian flat leaf parsley.  This wine went PERFECTLY with the beet salad.  I would image this wine would also go great with most/any raw seafood dishes, especially clams on the half-shell and a chilled seafood platter (crab legs, lobster, clams, oysters, etc.).   If we had to drink this wine again, I would pair it with clams on the half-shell; that would be a match made in heaven.

AGING POTENTIAL

This wine is drinking perfectly right this moment and will probably age/mature well for another 10 years or so if stored properly.  Mosel Rieslings can age well for DECADES (even up to 100 years), but I’m not quite sure this wine has those kinds of “legs.”  Either way, if you have this bottle in your cellar or fridge, stop procrastinating and open this wine and enjoy with the pairing suggestions listed above.

SCORE (on a 100-point scale)

This wine has a 97-point bouquet, but overall, I’m going to score this wine with 88 points.

Q.P.R. (QUALITY-TO-PRICE RATIO) (POOR, FAIR, GOOD, EXCELLENT)

GOOD

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.fessparker.com/

2008 Fess Parker "The Big Easy" (90 Points)

DATE CONSUMED

Friday, October 05, 2012

VINTAGE

2008

WINERY/PRODUCER

Fess Parker Winery

WINE NAME

The Big Easy

TYPE OF WINE

Red blend

COMPOSITION

78% Syrah, 22% Petite Sirah

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

N/A

REGION/A.V.A. (American Viticultural Area)

Santa Barbara County, California

ALCOHOL CONTENT

14.9%

PRICE PAID

Normally $34 a bottle, we procured this bottle at a special futures pre-release net price of $21.87 (sales tax and shipping included; I believe the futures price was around $16 to $18 a bottle).

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

Bought from the winery’s wine club at a special futures pre-release price in March 2011 (see above).

BOUQUET

This wine has a pretty, floral (especially violets) bouquet, punctuated with spices and herbs, along with suggestions of oak and earth. 

TASTING NOTES

Fess Parker’s The Big Easy is always a dependable, dark, rich, spicy, chewy red blend (always mostly Syrah, along with Petite Sirah and, if memory serves me well, once in a while another varietal or two thrown into the mix to make things REAL interesting and delicious). 

Once again, Fess comes through with another fabulous Big Easy.  The wine pours almost black (what would you expect from Syrah and Petite Sirah?) and is wonderfully delicious.  There is an abundance of black and red fruits up front, especially plums, blackberries, blueberries, and hints of black cherries and raspberries.  There’s also a truck-load of spices and herbs, such as a MOUNTAIN of black pepper and a perfect dose of savory herbs like rosemary. 

This is a full-throttle, high octane red blend that is perfect for fall/winter.  Syrah and Petite Sirah are not exactly shy or demure varietals, so if you enjoy big, bold, rich, fruity, spicy, powerful reds, this blend is difficult to beat for the price.  It is delicious and well-balanced (though the alcohol level is fairly high, the flavor profile and structure allow it to wear its alcohol well), with a smooth, lingering finish that hangs around for a nice long while.

Membership definitely has its privileges; this wine is a bargain at $21.87, though, quite frankly, I’d easily pay up to $40 - $50 a bottle in a restaurant for this fabulous red blend.  The Big Easy is always dependable and ALWAYS delicious.  If you like rich, creamy, spicy, deeply-flavored red blends, you cannot go wrong with Fess Parker’s The Big Easy.

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We paired this wine with thick ribeyes smothered in Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper (I hate to brag, but I BBQ’d the ribeyes to medium-rare perfection).  This wine just may be the PERFECT red steak wine.  The Big Easy would also pair well with Arthur’s curried lamb shanks and just about any other red beef dish like pot roast, prime rib, or even hamburgers.

AGING POTENTIAL

This wine is drinking very well right now and will probably continue to age beautifully for another ten years or so.

SCORE (on a 100-point scale)

90 Points

Q.P.R. (QUALITY-TO-PRICE RATIO) (POOR, FAIR, GOOD, EXCELLENT)

GOOD – EXCELLENT (based on the futures pre-release price; GOOD at the regular price of $34)

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.fessparker.com/

2008 Ambyth Maiestas red blend (93 Poins)

DATE CONSUMED

Friday, September 07, 2012

VINTAGE

2008

WINERY/PRODUCER

Ambyth Estate

WINE NAME

Maiestas

TYPE OF WINE

Red blend

COMPOSITION

61% Syrah, 18% Mourvedre, 15% Grenache, 6% Counoise

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

Mark’s & StoneCross Vineyards

REGION/A.V.A. (American Viticultural Area)

Paso Robles, California

ALCOHOL CONTENT

12.5%

PRICE PAID

$45

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

Bought at the winery in June, 2011.

BOUQUET

This wine has a gorgeous, floral nose!  The very first thing that leaps out of the glass is a bouquet of flowers (hence the term), along with suggestions of red fruit, earth, spices, and oak.

TASTING NOTES

Upfront disclosure: we visited Ambyth’s tasting room/home and it was EASILY the best wine tasting experience of our lives!

We bought tickets to Paso Robles’ “Pinot and Paella Festival” and decided to take my parents with us and to do a little wine tasting before the festival.  I made an appointment with Ambyth and arrived at the winery on a cold, blustery day.  The moment we parked my parent’s SUV and started to head towards the tasting room, Phillip (Ambyth’s owner and winemaker) came out of his beautiful house and said that it was too cold to do a wine tasting in their tasting room and that we should join them in their home for the tasting.  We went up the hill to their beautiful home and were treated to a FANTASTIC tasting of their estate-grown wines, olives, and olive oil.  Needless to say, the experience was unforgettable; the wines, olives, and olive oil were extraordinary.  Phillip and Mary’s hospitality was beyond belief and the entire experience was something that I will always remember until the day I die!

Ambyth’s wines/vineyards are biodynamic, dry farmed, head trained, unfined and unfiltered, utilizing native yeasts.  Their wines are purposely low in alcohol (when was the last time you had a California red blend at only 12.5% alcohol?!?!) and reveal a purity of essence that few California wines could ever hope to accomplish.

Thanks (at least partially) to a low alcohol level and being Demeter certified, the wine’s terrior shines through like few wines dare.  The first, most-noticeable trait of this fantastic blend is bright, pure red and black fruits like strawberries, cherries, raspberries, and blackberries.  There’s an unbelievably wonderful balance of fruit, spices like rosemary and black pepper, earthiness, and the PERFECT amount of oak.  This wine is absolutely, perfectly well-balanced; this blend exhibits fantastic acidity, the previously-mentioned low alcohol level, and a depth of flavor that most California Rhone blends would envy.

This wine is labeled “Maiestas,” which, in Latin, means “Majestic Dignity.”  Ambyth is a Welsh term for “forever.”  Based on both terms, I would imagine this wine would still be “Forever Majestically Dignified” a million years from now.  I will assume that I won’t live to be a million years old, but if a bottle of Ambyth’s 2008 Maiestas were to get lost in somebody’s cellar for a million years, I would assume it would probably taste “majestically dignified” even after all those years!

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We drank this beauty with lamb chops spiced with Kosher salt, black pepper, and Herbs de Provence.  The wine and lamb chops could not have gone better together!  This wine would also pair well with just about any other red beef dish, along with prime rib, grilled steak, and/or rack/chop/shank of lamb.

AGING POTENTIAL

This wine is drinking gorgeously right now, and although Ambyth doesn’t use sulfites (which most wineries add to their wines as a preservative), based on its structure (alcohol (or lack-thereof), acidity, sugar, etc.), this wine will probably continue to age beautifully and mature gracefully for another 15+ years.  Although still young and vibrant for a Southern Rhone-style blend, this wine will only get better (much better?) over the next five to ten years.  If I had the patience and willpower of a saint (believe me, I don’t), in a beautiful/perfect world we should have saved this bottle for another three to five years.  But it’s a beauty right now!

SCORE (on a 100-point scale)

93

Q.P.R. (QUALITY-TO-PRICE RATIO) (POOR, FAIR, GOOD, EXCELLENT)

GOOD – EXCELLENT

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.ambythestate.com/

2004 Caparone Zinfandel (92 Points)

DATE CONSUMED

Saturday, September 1, 20012

VINTAGE

2004

WINERY/PRODUCER

Caparone Winery

WINE NAME

N/A

TYPE OF WINE

Red

COMPOSITION

100% Zinfandel

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

Estate Grown

REGION/A.V.A. (American Viticultural Area)

Paso Robles, California

ALCOHOL CONTENT

13.3%

PRICE PAID

Caparone prices all of their wines at $14 a bottle.  Because I bought a case of this wine, I received a 20% discount ($11.20/bottle) and ended-up paying $13.52 a bottle when sales tax and shipping were included.

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

See above (bought a case directly from the winery (on-line) in July 2012).

BOUQUET

The aroma profile for this fabulous wine exhibits mostly red fruit along with suggestions of black fruit as well, such as cherries, raspberries, and plums.  There are also hints/suggestions of oak, earth, and savory herbs.

TASTING NOTES

Not being one to mince words, let’s get this out of the way: I consider this wine to be the best Zinfandel for the money that I have EVER tasted.  I absolutely LOVE this wine and consider it to be the Bargain of the Century!  I’ve drunk Zins that cost five to six times what this wine cost that weren’t one-quarter as good.  Hyperbole?  Exaggeration?  No!  Just the facts, folks.

This is a spicy, earthy, tannic, tart, delicious Zin that anybody who appreciates well-made, quality Zins should search-out and enjoy.  As the bouquet suggested, there’s an abundance of (mostly) red and (some) black fruit, such as raspberries, blackberries, plums, and black/sour cherries, along with a gargantuan amount of spices like black pepper and savory herbs (rosemary, thyme, as well as hints of sage and mint).  The wine also exhibits a mountain of earthy elements as well as the perfect amount of sweet, creamy oak.  This Zin drinks very similarly to a Grenache; if this wine were drunk blind alongside another dozen Grenaches, I would have assumed that this was simply a VERY interesting Grenache.  This is NOT your father’s Zinfandel (to quote an old Oldsmobile advertisement).

There’s an earthy quality to this wine that I have never quite experienced before; it’s almost as if a shovel or two of soil from Caparone’s estate vineyard were thrown into every barrel so that the grape juice could commingle with the dirt in order to exquisitely convey the utmost paragon of terrior.  You literally and figuratively can taste the soil in this wine unlike any other wine I’ve ever had.

The Caparones employ classic Italian/European winemaking techniques, which results in a red wine with VERY Italian traits, especially as it pertains to tannins and acidity (in the best possible ways).  This Zin is very well-balanced with fabulous structure, tremendous complexity, and a flavor profile that just doesn’t quit.  The finish is smooth and lingers for quite a while.  This is an extremely Italianesque wine; it showcases all of the best qualities that a Cal-Ital wine could possibly muster.  If you savor rich, tannic, earthy/viscous, interesting, and delicious-beyond-belief Italian wines, this wine was made for YOU.  If you prefer typical Paso Zin Fruit Bombs (15%+ alcohol, jammy sweet fruit, a one-dimensional flavor profile with almost zero depth), look elsewhere. 

Somehow/someway, Dave and Marc extracted every last nano-ounce of flavor from their Zinfandel grapes to assemble this gorgeous wine.  They age their wines for two years in oak and then bottle-age their wines for another year before releasing them to the public.  How they’re able to make such fantastic wines for $14 a bottle is beyond me (especially with all of that patient aging).  Their other Italian varietal bottlings are also fantastic (Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, and Aglianico).  But I believe the star of the show is this 2004 Zinfandel.  I’m as giddy as a 12-year-old girl at a Justin Bieber concert whenever I open one of these fabulous bottles!

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We paired this wine with ribeyes smothered in Kosher salt and a ton of freshly-cracked black pepper; talk about the PEFECT pairing!  This wine would truly just about go perfectly with any grilled steak, as well as chops/racks/shanks of lamb. 

AGING POTENTIAL

This wine is drinking extraordinarily well right this moment and because of its Italianesque qualities/structure will probably continue to drink well for another 20+ years. 

SCORE (on a 100-point scale)

92

Q.P.R. (QUALITY-TO-PRICE RATIO) (POOR, FAIR, GOOD, EXCELLENT)

EXCELLENT

WINERY WEBSITE

http://caparone.com/

2008 Lynmar Estate Russian River Valley Pinot Noir (90 Points)

DATE CONSUMED

Sunday, August 12, 2012

VINTAGE

2008

WINERY/PRODUCER

Lynmar Estate

WINE NAME

N/A

TYPE OF WINE

Red

COMPOSITION

100% Pinot Noir

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

N/A

REGION/A.V.A. (American Viticultural Area)

Russian River Valley, California

ALCOHOL CONTENT

14.7%

PRICE PAID

$36 (full retail price is $40; wine club member price is $36 (10% discount); final price with tax and shipping totaled $42.65)

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

Received this bottle from the winery’s wine club in May 2011

BOUQUET

The nose exhibits classic RRV elements of red fruit (raspberries, plums, and sour cherries), spices (black pepper and savory herbs), earth, and oak. 

TASTING NOTES

This is a fabulous sub-$40 RRV Pinot.  Lynmar bottles estate-sourced fruit but also sources Pinot grapes from other RRV and Sonoma County vineyards.  I’m assuming that since this wine is simply designated as a “RRV” bottling that some (most? all?) of the fruit used in this wine was sourced from other vineyards/wineries.

This is a beautifully well-balanced, classic RRV Pinot Noir, exhibiting gorgeous fruit (black and sour cherries, raspberries, blackberries, and plums), an abundance of savory herbs (black pepper along with a cornucopia of herbs like rosemary, thyme, and sage), soft, silky, creamy oak (which also contributed a touch of vanilla and smoke), as well as the perfect amount of acidity and briskness that keeps this medium-bodied beauty well-balanced and in-check. 

Along with the above descriptors, this Pinot also possesses that essence of RRV Pinot (“je ne sais quoi” as the French would say).  Pinot Noir expresses a phenomenal exuberance of terrior (another French term, meaning, roughly, “a sense of place”) in the Russian River Valley, as well as the Santa Rita Hills AVA outside of (north) Santa Barbara.  I can almost always tell immediately if a Pinot Noir comes from the RRV or the Santa Rita Hills, and this elegant, delicious, well-balanced, spicy, fruity Pinot is no exception. 

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We paired this wine with grilled, wild-caught Sockeye salmon filets spiced with freshly-ground sea salt and black pepper, as well as Herbs de Provence, in addition to a Rachel Ray chicken breast recipe featuring rosemary, garlic, and balsamic vinegar.  The Lynmar Pinot went pretty well with the salmon and chicken, thanks to it being a light-bodied red with an abundance of savory herb notes.  This wine would also pair well with lamb (racks, chops, shanks, leg, etc.) and just about any pork dish.

AGING POTENTIAL

This wine is drinking very well right now and should continue to age/mature well for another 10 years or so.

SCORE (on a 100-point scale)

90 Points

Q.P.R. (QUALITY-TO-PRICE RATIO) (POOR, FAIR, GOOD, EXCELLENT)

GOOD

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.lynmarwinery.com/30years.html

2007 Tablas Creek En Gobelet (91 Points)

DATE CONSUMED

Sunday, July 29, 2012

VINTAGE

2007

WINERY/PRODUCER

Tablas Creek Vineyard

WINE NAME

En Gobelet

TYPE OF WINE

Red blend

COMPOSITION

48% Mourvedre, 47% Grenache, 5% Tannat

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

Grown and bottled on the estate

REGION/A.V.A.

Paso Robles, California

ALCOHOL CONTENT

15.0%

PRICE PAID

$28.80

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

Got this bottle from the winery’s wine club in October 2009.

BOUQUET

I woke-up this morning feeling a little flu-ish, so my nose is just slightly stuffed.  What I COULD detect were notes of red and black fruit (like raspberries), lots of spices, and a bit of oak and earth.

TASTING NOTES

Tablas Creek assembles this red blend with fruit from head-pruned, dry-farmed sections of their estate vineyard.  2007 was a drought year (what else would you expect from California?), resulting in small, intense berries.  Between dry-farmed fruit, small, concentrated berries from (another) dry year, and unfining and unfiltering, this is a rich, creamy, intense, delicious blend. 

There is the usual red and black fruits in the complex flavor profile (plums, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and sour cherries), along with plenty of savory herbs and spices like black pepper, sage, and rosemary.  There is a deft amount of oak, along with an earthy, tannic follow-though.

This is a young, vibrant, tannic, delicious blend.  According to Tablas Creek’s vintage chart, this wine is in an early maturity stage and they suggest decanting before drinking.  That’s exactly what we did.  Like practically all of Tablas Creek’s Southern Rhone wines (single varietal and blended bottles), this wine will age gorgeously for years to come.  This rich, creamy, tannic blend is drinking well now, but if you can’t help yourself, definitely decant for an hour or two before drinking. 

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We drank this wine with one of my very favorite homemade dishes that Arthur makes: curried lamb shanks.  This wine went pretty well with the lamb shanks but if I had to drink this bottle again, I would pair this wine with a very thick ribeye smothered in Kosher salt and about a ton of freshly-cracked black pepper.  This wine would also pair well with a wine-based beef stew (like beef bourguignon), and pretty much any kind of red beef dish.

AGING POTENTIAL

Though five years old, this wine is still VERY young and tannic.  I would imagine this wine would continue to age, mature, and mellow-out beautifully for another 20+ years.

SCORE

91

Q.P.R. (QUALITY-TO-PRICE RATIO) (POOR, FAIR, GOOD, EXCELLENT)

GOOD-EXCELLENT

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.tablascreek.com/

2011 Cardwell Hill Rose From Pinot Noir (90 Points)

DATE CONSUMED

Sunday, July 22, 2012

VINTAGE

2011

WINERY/PRODUCER

Cardwell Hill Cellars

WINE NAME

N/A

TYPE OF WINE

Rose

COMPOSITION

100% Pinot Noir

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

N/A

REGION/A.V.A.

Willamette Valley

ALCOHOL CONTENT

12.8%

PRICE PAID

Unknown

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

Our good friend John from Corvallis, Oregon brought this bottle over to our house last time he visited us in Southern California (June 2012).

BOUQUET

This wine has a very fruity bouquet, with suggestions of sour fruits, spice, and earth.

TASTING NOTES

Being from California, we’re very partial to quality, delicious Pinot Noirs from The Golden State, along with roses of Pinot Noir (read: Lynmar Pinots and roses from the Russian River Valley, along with Pinots from Fess Parker (Santa Barbara) and Windward (Paso Robles)).  We had never had a rose of Pinot from Oregon before and had no idea what to expect from this wine.  Though we’ve had some wonderful Pinots from Oregon, we believe California produces higher quality Pinots than Oregon.  So we tried to keep an open mind when we opened this bottle.

Wow, do we LOVE a pleasant surprise.  This is a fabulous rose of Pinot.  Up front this wine exhibits bright, acidic, juicy red fruit (strawberries, raspberries, and sour cherries), along with earthy herbs like white pepper, sage, and rosemary.  This wine has a creaminess that, somehow, maintains incredibly bright, sharp acidity.  The aforementioned Lynmar Rose of Pinot is extremely rich and creamy (imagine fermented strawberries and cream!).  This Rose of Pinot is also slightly creamy but doesn’t impart dairy characteristics in its flavor profile.

We didn’t know what to expect before we tasted this wine but once we opened the bottle and began sipping, we were blown away at the quality of this wonderful rose.  In addition to the fruits and spices, the wine exhibits fantastic balance and a depth-of-flavor that most roses would envy.  Needless to say, this rose is about as perfect as a summer-time wine gets.  When the temperature flirts with 100 degrees, the last thing anybody needs is rich, heavy, high-in-alcohol reds; what EVERYBODY needs at 100 degrees is a juicy, bright, perfectly-balanced, delicious, and FANTASTIC food-friendly rose from Cardwell Hill Cellars!

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We paired this wine with frozen wild salmon filets bought at CostCo, marinated in a white miso glaze.  An aunt told us how fabulous these salmon filets are; we can get MUCH better salmon steaks at our local Korean supermarket (they sell fresh Scottish salmon steaks that are absolutely to die for!).  This rose went quite well with the salmon.  After years of experience, I’ve decided that salmon is the PEFECT food to pair with roses (either Rose of Pinot Noir or even Southern Rhone-style roses, such as one from Tablas Creek). 

I would imagine this rose would also pair well with most other seafoods (such as most fresh fish (whole or filets), along with shrimp and scallop dishes), along with quiche, pork, chicken, and because of the rose’s spiciness, maybe even BBQ ribs/chicken/sausages?!?!

AGING POTENTIAL

Most roses are meant to be drunk young, so once your bottle has recovered from Travel Shock, put this bottle in the fridge and drink it before the end of 2013 (though the sooner the better; this wine is drinking BEAUTIFULLY right this moment).

SCORE

90

Q.P.R. (QUALITY-TO-PRICE RATIO) (POOR, FAIR, GOOD, EXCELLENT)

Since we didn’t buy this wine, I would assume that it coast around $20-ish.  If this wine costs $20 to $30, I would give this wine a GOOD Q.P.R score.  If this wine cost $15 to $19.99, I would give it a GOOD-EXCELLENT rating.  If this wine cost under $15, I would give it an EXCELLENT Q.P.R rating.

WINERY WEBSITE

www.cardwellhillwine.com