2008 Thacher Controlled Chaos

DATE CONSUMED

Sunday, September 29, 2013

VINTAGE

2008

WINERY/PRODUCER

Thacher

WINE NAME

Controlled Chaos

TYPE OF WINE

Red blend

COMPOSITION

42% Mourvedre, 35% Zinfandel, 23% Grenache

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

N/A

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

Paso Robles, California

ALCOHOL CONTENT

15.7%

PRICE PAID

$35

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

We bought this bottle at the winery’s tasting room in June, 2011.

BOUQUET

The Mourvedre in this blend is mostly responsible for this wine’s meaty bouquet on the nose, along with some peppery spiciness and savory herbs that nicely complement the red fruit and earthy components.

 

TASTING NOTES

One of the best things about American wines is that winemakers and wineries don’t have to follow incredibly strict regional laws/rules/guidelines/regulations as far as what varietals they can/cannot use in their blends like they do throughout most of Europe (especially Italy and France (and extra especially Champagne, Bordeaux, and Chateauneuf-du-Pape)).  In America, anything goes and anything is possible.  You want to blend Pinot Noir with Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc (doesn’t that sound disgusting?), go right ahead (but only if you’re that dumb/stupid)!

 Blending Mourvedre, Zinfandel, and Grenache would NOT be allowed in France but is practically encouraged in America.  And if you’re the adventurous type, you will probably enjoy this blend.

Mourvedre and Grenache make for a CLASSIC match/pair/blend, but adding 35% Zinfandel to the mix makes this wine quite interesting.  The Mourvedre and Grenache exhibit their usual (mostly) red fruit elements, along with savory herbs and black pepper.  Where things get REAL interesting is when the Zin characteristics intermingle/contrast with the Mourvedre and Grenache (especially Zin’s almost all black fruity/jammy characteristics).  Zinfandel doesn’t have the acidity and tannic structure that Mourvedre and Grenache exhibit, so the Zin’s soft, silky tannins play quid-pro-quo with the other varietal’s zippy acidity.  I’m also detecting new American oak, which also adds a creamy, vanilla smoothness to the finish.

This is an extremely American red blend: plenty of red and dark fruit, lots of savory herbs and black pepper, oakiness that contributes to the wine’s creaminess, suggestions of earthiness, all bundled-up in rich, creamy deliciousness.  Despite the elevated alcohol level, the wine maintains its balance and integrity (I’d imagine the jammy Zin is responsible for all that alcohol).  Kind of wish we had this wine on the 4^th of July; that would have been extremely appropriate!!

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We paired this wine with our go-to red blend pairing: ribeye steaks well-seasoned with Kosher salt and tons of black pepper, along with Arthur’s famous mushroom medley.  The wine paired beautifully with the steaks and would go well with just about any/every other red meat dish (meatloaf, pot roast, lamb, etc.).  Because this wine is so rich, creamy, and slightly jammy, I would stick to fatty red meats like well-marbled steaks so that the meat’s fattiness can counterbalance the wine’s alcohol.

AGING POTENTIAL

This wine is drinking quite well right now and thanks to the Mourvedre and Grenache, it should continue to age, mature, and develop for another 10 years or so.

SCORE (on a 100-point scale)

88

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

GOOD

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.thacherwinery.com/

2005 Chateau Doisy-Vedrines Sauternes

DATE CONSUMED

Thursday, September 19, 2013

VINTAGE

2005

WINERY/PRODUCER

Chateau Doisy-Vedrines

WINE NAME

Sauternes

TYPE OF WINE

Sauternes (Bordeaux dessert wine)

COMPOSITION

Unknown (most/all Sauternes are a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Muscadelle)

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

N/A

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

Sauternes; Bordeaux, France

ALCOHOL CONTENT

14%

PRICE PAID

$25 for a 375ml bottle

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

We exchanged a couple of over-priced Napa Cabs for a nice selection of different wines from all over the world about a year ago, including this wine as well as a 2009 vintage of the same wine.

BOUQUET

The nose on this wine has that classic Sauterne bouquet of tropical fruits (especially pineapple and mango, along with citrus peel), as well as honey elements, creamy earth, and suggestions/hints of spices.   

TASTING NOTES

Make no mistake about it: this Sauterne is as Sauterne as a Sauterne can get!  This is a fantastically rich, creamy, spicy, fruity, complexly-flavored dessert wine that’s tough to beat.  I absolutely LOVE Port and could drink it all day long given the opportunity, but as far as chilled dessert beverages go, you CANNOT beat a well-made Sauterne.

As the bouquet suggested (actually, the bouquet completely foreshadowed almost EXACTLY how this beauty would taste), there is indeed an abundance of tropical fruits like pineapple and mango, along with some sub-flavors like citrus peel, peach, and apricot.  After those fruit characteristics, the more savory/secondary elements become prominent, such as cream, honey, beeswax, mountains of minerals (think of granite from Yosemite), and especially a farm’s worth of savory herbs that I usually find in most red wines (oddly enough), such as rosemary.  And of course, the finish is smooth and lingering and probably coats the throat just as thoroughly as the wine coats the wine bowl.

If you’ve never had a Sauterne before, here’s a very brief history.  Sauternes are made in a region of Bordeaux (Sauternais) and is basically a late-harvest blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, and Muscadelle that has been purposely affected by noble rot (Botrytis cinerea), which causes the grapes to become partially “raisinized” and gives the wine that rich, creamy, deeply-flavored and distinctive profile. 

Though a lot of Sauternes share a similar flavor profile, this version has more of a savory herb element that I absolutely adore.  Yes, there’s the usual cream, honey, tropical fruits, and slightly earthy elements, but the savory herbs in the background really seal the deal for me.  This wine is so good I would actually consider giving-up Port (not that I could afford to do that).  It’s really THAT good! 

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We had this wine for dessert after having Korean BBQ for dinner and thought it would contrast nicely to the spicy Korean food.  Sure enough, it was the perfect spoil.  I’m not a big fan of drinking Ports or Sauternes with food/desserts (I prefer to enjoy these marvelous dessert wines all by themselves since they can be fulfilling to incredible depths of pleasure all by themselves), but I would imagine this wine would pair well with fruit tarts (especially those made with summer fruits like peaches and apricots) and cheeses (the more pungent the better, I would think). 

AGING POTENTIAL

This wine is drinking beautifully right now but Sauternes are famous for aging nicely for decades.  I’ve personally never had a 100-year-old Sauterne but with the level of alcohol, acids, sugar, and tannins in this wine I would imagine/guess that this wine would age well for at least fifty years.  Personally, if I had another bottle of this 8-year-old wine in my cellar, it wouldn’t last much beyond the end of 2013.

SCORE (on a 100-point scale)

93

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

GOOD – EXCELLENT

WINERY WEBSITE

Unknown

2006 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel

DATE CONSUMED

Sunday, September 15, 2013

VINTAGE

2006

WINERY/PRODUCER

Tablas Creek Vineyard

WINE NAME

Esprit de Beaucastel

TYPE OF WINE

Red blend

COMPOSITION

45% Mourvedre, 28% Grenache, 22% Syrah, 5% Counoise

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

Estate grown and bottled

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

Paso Robles, California (Central Coast)

ALCOHOL CONTENT

14.5%

PRICE PAID

Retail price: $45

Wine club member price: $36

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

We received this bottle from Tablas Creek’s (TC) wine club in November 2008.  We’ve been sitting on this bottle for the past five-ish years because it’s been in a “closed” phase according to TC’s vintage chart.  Their Esprit de Beaucastels are famous for being open and young and approachable for a couple of years after being released but then eventually “shut down” for a few years before opening back up.  This particular vintage was in a closed phase for years and just recently reached peak maturity and is now in an open phase where it should continue to age beautifully for another five to ten years or so.

BOUQUET

The usual Southern Rhone qualities of red and black/dark fruits, along with pepper and savory herbs are prominent on the nose, along with hints/suggestions of oak and earth, though the fruit and spices are the real stars on this wine’s bouquet.  Most of TC’s Esprit de Beaucastels exhibit classic Calineuf-du-Pape qualities but bouquet-wise this wine is more fruit and spices and less earth and terrior.  Either way, it smells yummy.  Let’s see…….

 

TASTING NOTES

Well, the bouquet wasn’t classic Chateauneuf-du-Pape (or it’s California cousin, Calineuf-du-Pape), but the flavor profile absolutely is!!

This wine is beautifully balanced, with the fruit, spices, earth, oak, tannins, acids, and terrior complementing each other and all the parts coming together to make the whole more than it normally could/should/would be. 

This is a rich, creamy, spicy, delicious red blend that could easily pass for a Chateauneuf-du-Pape.  The red and black fruits are most prominent (plums, blackberries, and sour cherries) but the abundance of black pepper and savory herbs are right behind the fruits (rosemary, sage, thyme, etc.).  Next up to the plate is that certain je ne sais quoi, a.k.a. terrior from Chateauneuf-du-Pape (CdP).  Finally, the perfect amount of earth and oak, along with silky, elegant tannins and zippy acidity all add-up to present a perfect, soft, smooth, lingering finish.

Paso Robles is famous for sharing many similar attributes with CdP, especially it’s soils, which is the main reason why TC partnered with CdP’s Chateau de Beaucastel to establish TC in Paso, where they excel at Southern Rhone varietals, in the form of both blends and single varietal bottlings.  This particular bottle (which translates to “The Spirit of Chateau de Beaucastel) is perfectly named and appropriate beyond belief.

One final thought:  there are many benefits to allowing Southern Rhone-styled red blends to properly age and mature before popping the cork.  When this wine was released in (I’m guessing) 2008, it was probably very fruity, very spicy, very rambunctious, with strong, prominent tannins and acidity.  Thanks to the majority of Mourvedre, this wine has aged gorgeously and has become more meaty, with the spiciness becoming more savory and less shrarp/peppery.  And of course with proper aging, the tannins and acidity have mellowed a bit with the end result being a smooth, creamy, delicious red blend that, given its age, would probably be VERY difficult to find in a restaurant or wine shop.  At seven years post-harvest, this is still a young, vibrant, delicious-beyond-belief fabulous red blend that is drinking fantastically right now and will probably only get better with time.

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We paired this beauty with our go-to red blend companion: CostCo ribeyes spiced with Kosher salt, black pepper, and Herbs de Provence.  This wine paired perfectly with the steaks and would also pair well with most red meats, but I’d imagine it would drink

GORGEOUSLY with lamb, especially shanks, chops, and racks.  Like most red blends, pair this wine with red meat; can’t go wrong there.

 

AGING POTENTIAL

As previously discussed, this wine just came-out of a closed phase and will continue to mature and develop for many years to come before fading away.  It’s drinking GREAT right now and I’d imagine it will continue to drink well for at least another 10-ish years.

SCORE (on a 100-point scale)

93

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

GOOD – EXCELLENT

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.tablascreek.com/

2009 Melville Estate Pinot Noir

DATE CONSUMED

Sunday, September 8, 2013

VINTAGE

2009

WINERY/PRODUCER

Melville

WINE NAME

N/A

TYPE OF WINE

Red

COMPOSITION

100% Pinot Noir

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

Estate grown, produced, and bottled

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

N/A

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

Santa Rita Hills, California (Central Coast)

ALCOHOL CONTENT

14.1%

PRICE PAID

$32

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

We bought this bottle at the winery’s tasting room in November, 2010

BOUQUET

No other grape varietal in the world conveys its terrior (loosely translated as “sense of place”) better than Pinot Noir, and there are few wine regions whose soil and terrior are more unique than the Santa Rita Hills on California’s Central Coast (roughly about 30 to 45 minutes north of Santa Barbara).  This wine conveys that classic SRH terrior perfectly, which is difficult to describe/explain unless you’ve experienced many different versions of Pinot from the SRH as I have.  And this wine does indeed translate its SRH heritage beautifully via its bouquet, with those classic SRH characteristics of peppery snappiness, an abundance of red and black fruit, along with those savory herbs running in the background.  Best of all is that unique, gorgeous, delicious, mouth-watering SRH earthiness that runs through the core of most SRH Pinot Noirs.  Can’t WAIT to taste this SRH Bad Boy!

TASTING NOTES

Some Pinots from the SRH are ridiculously/obviously from the SRH, such as Pinots from Brewer-Clifton.  Though not as obvious as a Brewer-Clifton Pinot, this is still a fantastic SRH Pinot, displaying delicious red and black fruits like black and Bing cherries, sour plums, blackberries, boysenberries, and raspberries, along with TONS of black and white pepper and savory herbs like Thyme, sage, and rosemary.  There’s the perfect amount of creamy oak playing a supporting role (not too much, not too little, just the PERFECT amount), along with that flawless SRH terrior (very unique soil/topography, with warm sunny days followed by cool, Pacific coastal influences at night during the growing season). 

The tannins are still ever-present though beginning to mellow after four yeas and the just-right acidity adds a youthful vigor to the wine’s balance and finish, resulting in a smooth, food-friendly, lingering finish.

At almost four years post-harvest, this wine is still very young and vibrant, with fresh, fruity, spicy characteristics that exhibit its no-doubt-about-it origin.  With wonderful depth-of-flavors, smooth, silky, creamy tannins, tart/zippy acidity, and gorgeous fruit and spices all over the palate, this is a wonderful SRH Pinot. 

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We paired this wine with a spiced pork loin from CostCo, which was a perfect match with the wine.  This Pinot has so much going on that it would also pair well with lamb (racks, chops, shanks, etc.), just about any/all steaks, along with most/any red meat dish.  Because this Pinot has slightly Sonoma Coast traits (dark, spicy, gripping tannins and acidity), I would recommend pairing this wine with red meats.  Because it’s not very Burgundy-esque, I would refrain from pairing this Pinot with duck and other Burgundy-friendly proteins (not that it would exactly be criminal to drink this with duck and such; it’s just that this vibrant, spicy, earthy red would pair better with red meats).

AGING POTENTIAL

As previously-mentioned, this is still a young, vibrant, vigorous young wine that should continue to develop, age, and mature beautifully for another 10+ years.

SCORE (on a 100-point scale)

92

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

GOOD-TO-ALMOST-EXCELLENT

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.melvillevineyards.com/index2.html

2008 Brian Carter Cellars Abracadabra

DATE CONSUMED

Saturday, September 7, 2013

VINTAGE

2008

WINERY/PRODUCER

Brian Carter Cellars

WINE NAME

Abracadabra

TYPE OF WINE

Red Blend

COMPOSITION

20% Merlot, 15% Syrah, 15% Sangiovese, 12% Grenache, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc, 7% Mourvedre, 5% Malbec, 5% Petit Verdot, 2% Cinsault

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

N/A

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

Columbia Valley, Washington

ALCOHOL CONTENT

13.8%

PRICE PAID

$21.99

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

Be exchanged a couple of over-priced, under-performing Napa Valley Cabs for a nice variety of other wines from around the world this past February at Total Wine & More.  We did the same thing a short while ago and discovered a bottle of Brian Carter’s 2007 Byzance, a Southern Rhone-styled red blend that was FANTASTIC.  While perusing the aisles at Total Wine & More, we came across this wine and having fallen in love with Byzance, we just HAD to try this one as well, especially considering the unbelievable variety of varietals used in the blend (49% Bordeaux, 36% Rhone, and 17% other).

BOUQUET

At almost half of the grapes used in this blend consisting of Bordeaux varietals, it’s not surprising that this wine conveys that classic Washington bouquet of earthy, creamy, oaky, spicy, red and black fruit aromas.  Bouquet-wise, this wine could easily be mistaken for a Columbia Crest or Chateau St. Michelle blend consisting of Cab Sav, Merlot, and Syrah.  But based on the ten varietals from all over the planet, I’m assuming the flavor profile will be quite a bit different from your typical Washington Bordeaux-ish blend.

TASTING NOTES

Sure enough, this wine does taste mostly like a Washington Bordeaux-esque blend, but there’s definitely something else going on in this wine (thanks, no doubt, to the Rhone and Italian varietals also used in the blend).

There is indeed plenty of earthy, oaky, and red- and black-fruited elements quite prominent up front, especially that fantastic Washington earth/dirt/terrior, along with dark fruits like plums, sour/black cherries, and blackberries, along with some red fruits like raspberries, not to mention the mountains of black pepper and savory herbs.  In addition to the earthiness, fruit, spices, and sublime oak, there’s also an abundance of richness and creaminess, followed by sweet, soft, silky tannins. 

It’s real obvious that half the grapes used in this blend are Washington Bordeaux varietals (Merlot, Cab Sav, Cab Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot), but those varietals from the Rhone (Syrah, Grenache, and Mourvedre), Languedoc-Roussillon (Cinsault), and Italy (Sangiovese) add such interesting depth-of-flavors and complexity that they make this wine MUCH more interesting than your typical Washington Bordeaux-esque blend.  Up front is the usual earth, cream, oak, fruit, and spices (from the Bordeaux varietals), but running a close 2^nd place is this wine’s zippy minerality (thank you Syrah and Sangiovese!), meaty heft and acidity (thank you Mourvedre), along with a myriad of interesting 2^nd, 3^rd, 4^th, 5^th, and 6^th levels of flavors, acidity, tannins, along with a smooth, soft, elegant finish.

I fell in love with Brian Carter Cellars’ wines by accident/chance almost a year ago, and every single wine we’ve ever tried since then has been fabulous.  I never knew Washington could be home to fantastic Southern Rhone blends (Byzance), and once I saw this bottle at Total Wine & More, I thought it was MORE than worth a gamble.  Once I saw all the varietals that were used in this blend (from the winery’s website), I was actually quite skeptical of the wine’s potential.  I’m pretty much always leery of blends that constitute varietals from all over the world (I’m petrified of any/all blends that use Pinot Noir; that’s just WRONG!!!).  But this blend bucks any/all trends; the proof is in the bottle that real, quality, delicious, fantastic blends can indeed consist of grape varietals from all over the world.

Arthur and I will be semi-retiring in about ten years (when our townhouse in Southern California is paid-off) and I would LOVE to semi-retire in the Columbia Valley along the Washington and Oregon borders.  With all those wonderful Pinots, Chardonnays, and Pinot Gris in the Willamette Valley and all those fantastic red ands whites in Washington, I would LOVE to live driving distance from Brian Carter Cellars.  How dangerous would that be?!?!

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We paired this fabulous/delicious blend with rib eye steaks spiced with my usual spices (Kosher salt, black pepper, and Herbs de Provence).  This wine was a PERFECT match with a well-spiced and perfectly-cooked rib eye.  It would also pair well with lamb chops, rack of lamb, meat loaf, pot roast, and just about any other red beef dish.

AGING POTENTIAL

This wine is drinking gorgeously right now and thanks to its acidity and tannins, I would imagine this wine would cellar fantastically for another ten years or so. 

SCORE (on a 100-point scale)

90

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

GOOD – EXCELLENT

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.briancartercellars.com/