2009 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc

DATE CONSUMED

Friday, March 27, 2013

VINTAGE

2009

WINERY/PRODUCER

Tablas Creek Vineyard

WINE NAME

Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc

TYPE OF WINE

White blend

COMPOSITION

62% Roussanne, 26% Grenache Blanc, 12% Picpoul Blanc

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

Estate grown and bottled

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

Paso Robles, California

ALCOHOL CONTENT

13.5%

PRICE PAID

Retail: $40.00

Wine Club Price $30.40

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

We received this bottle with our bi-annual Tablas Creek wine club shipment in October, 2010

BOUQUET

We decanted this wine about 15 minutes before drinking/serving with dinner to encourage the wine’s bouquet to blossom because Tablas Creek’s wine’s are famous for greatly benefiting from decanting, cellaring, and savoring over good food.

This wine has an almost Chablis-like nose, exhibiting an earthy chalkiness, along with tropical and Autumn fruits (like pears and apples), along with white flowers. 

 

TASTING NOTES

This is a lovely Southern Rhone-style white blend.  The almost 2/3-worth of Roussanne contributes to the wine’s medium-bodied heft, along with the wine’s creaminess, richness, tropical fruits, and waxiness.  The Grenache Blanc and Picpoul Blanc contribute a zingy zippiness (aka acidity, stoniness, and minerality), along with added depth-of-flavors.

This is a wonderful summer/spring-time white blend.  I enjoy a good Chardonnay, Riesling, and/or Sauvignon Blanc (to name just a few) as much as the next guy, but I absolutely LOVE a good, quality, well-made blend (bubbly, rose, white, and/or red).  This is one of the best white blends I’ve had all year; it has a nice, floral, fruity nose, along with a creamy, stony, minerally, tropical and citrusy flavor profile.  This wine would be very nice as an aperitif but it is SO food-friendly that I would stick to serving this wine with quality food.

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We paired this wine with my world-famous salmon steaks spiced with freshly-cracked sea salt, black pepper, and Herbs de Provence.  This wine paired beautifully with the salmon; the rich/creamy components of the Roussanne complemented the fish’s rich, creamy, fattiness while the Grenache and Picpoul Blancs’ zippy acidity complemented/counter-balanced the exact same qualities of the salmon (rich, creamy, fattiness). 

This is a very food-friendly/versatile white blend.  It paired perfectly with the salmon and would also pair equally well with other rich and/or lean seafoods like scallops, lobster, clams, oysters, crab, etc.  I believe it would also pair well with linguine in clam sauce, as well as most chicken dishes (roast, fried, and/or broiled).  Quite frankly, this wine is so versatile it would pair well with just about anything other than red meats and pastas with cream and/or tomato sauces.

AGING POTENTIAL

This wine is drinking beautifully right now though I’m not sure it has the “legs” to last much longer.  According to Tablas Creek’s vintage chart, this wine is in an “early maturity” stage, meaning it has years to go before reaching peak maturity.  Frankly and honestly (do I speak/think/write any other way?!?!), I believe Tablas Creek is a bit optimistic about their white wine’s aging potential.  We’ve had other white wines that they classified as “early maturity” that I felt were VERY near their peak maturity (and perhaps even a bit past).  If you have this wine in your cellar, I would drink it before the end of the year.  According to Tablas Creek, this wine should last another four or five years (or more).  Since we all could die within the next moment or two, I would drink this wine quite soon.  How tragic would it be to die with cases of fantastic, well-aged, ready-to-drink wines in your cellar that haven’t been drunk yet?!?!  Exactly………..

SCORE (on a 100-point scale)

91 Points

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

GOOD

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.tablascreek.com/

2008 Windward Barrel Select Monopole Pinot Noir

DATE CONSUMED

Monday, March 11, 2013

VINTAGE

2008

WINERY/PRODUCER

Windward Vineyard

WINE NAME

Monopole Barrel Select

TYPE OF WINE

Red

COMPOSITION

100% Pinot Noir

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

See above

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

Estate grown and bottled

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

Paso Robles, California

ALCOHOL CONTENT

14.3%

PRICE PAID

$49.60 ($53.20 including sales tax and shipping) (full retail price is $62)

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

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

BOUQUET

This wine has a very earthy and slightly oaky/fruity/spicy nose.  There are suggestions of savory herbs and black pepper, as well as red and black fruits and hints of floral elements (like violets).  We’ve belonged to Windward’s wine club for years and know that this wine is going to be delicious.  The bouquet doesn’t quite foretell the quality of this wine; most quality California Pinots have big, beautiful, floral qualities in addition to the classic earth, fruit, spice, and (to varying degrees) oaky elements.  This wine falls a bit short on the bouquet front (though it IS there).  We’ll see how it performs on the taste front.

Side note: after this wine had a chance to breathe for about an hour or so, the floral elements really rose to the occasion.  So if you have this wine in your cellar, cool it down for a bit and decant it for at least an hour; you’ll clearly be rewarded.

TASTING NOTES

Oh yeah, I just KNEW this wine would be fabulous!

Windward sets aside their very best barrels for their Barrel Select program (similar to the “Private Reserve” system that a lot of wineries employ).  I don’t know what percentage of Windward’s production becomes part of their elite barrel selection, but imagine Marc (Goldberg, winemaker and co-owner of Paso Robles’ best Pinot Noir producer, by FAR) barrel sampling their (for example) 100 barrels of the 2008 vintage and coming across ten barrels that are superior to the other 90 barrels from that same vintage.  As we all know, every bottle, every barrel, and even every glass of the 2008 Windward Pinot Noir will be different from every other bottle, barrel, and glass because every single berry is slightly different from every other berry that is grown on Windward’s fifteen-acre estate.  If a particular Windward vintage produces 15,000,000,000 Pinot Noir berries, the combination of those 15,000,000,000 different berries will produce similar but different-tasting barrels (as well as bottles and glasses).  Marc goes through each barrel in the winery and picks the best of the best to bottle as their Monopole Barrel Select. 

This is a spectacular Paso Robles Pinot Noir, a region that is not known for Pinot at all.  Paso, generally speaking, does Zinfandel and Southern Rhone varietals very well.  But Pinot Noir is generally done much better in Sonoma’s Russian River Valley, Napa Valley, and the Santa Barbara area (in general).  Somehow/someway, due to Paso’s many varied microclimates, Marc and Maggie have come across the absolutely PERFECT spot to produce world-class Pinot Noir.

This is a rich, dark, spicy, beautifully well-balanced Pinot Noir.  The usual red and black fruits are present (black berries, raspberries, sour/black cherries, plums, etc.), along with a significant amount of savory herbs and black pepper.  There is touch of oak and a dollop of cream and vanilla as an undercurrent.  The flavor profile for this wine goes long and deep, exhibiting complexity, subtlety, grace, balance, and refinement.   This wine tastes like it came from the Northern Coast of Sonoma County, whose Pinots can be extraordinarily rich and complex due to the severe weather and complex terrior.  As I’ve written several times before in reviewing Windward Pinot Noirs, it is absolutely amazing how Marc and Maggie can produce such extraordinary Pinot Noirs in Paso Robles.  Their Pinots are BY FAR the best Pinots out of the Paso AVA.  Quite frankly, their Pinots compare (and beat) the vast majority of Pinots that come out of Napa and the Russian River Valley.  They truly are that good!

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We opened this wine on a Monday because today is Arthur’s birthday.  We only open Windward Barrel Select Pinots on special occasions because they truly are special.

We paired this wine with a simply-spiced rack of lamb (Kosher salt, black pepper, and Herbs de Provence, my favorite/go-to savory herb blend).  To say that this wine was a PERFECT match with the rack of lamb would be the understatement of the century!  Due to it’s spiciness, richness, and creaminess, this wine would also pair well with just about any other red meat, especially grilled steaks, lamb chops, and lamb shanks. 

Pinot Noir generally pairs well with duck, but you really have to be careful when pairing Pinot with duck.  Only light-bodied, feminine, elegant Pinot Noirs should be paired with duck (like Windward’s 2006 Pinot, my favorite Windward Pinot of all time!).  A dark, rich, spicy, heavily-structured Pinot like Windward’s 2008 Pinot should be paired with beef.  Just a suggestion……….

AGING POTENTIAL

This wine is drinking beautifully right now and due to its structure should continue to age and mature gracefully for another ten-plus years.  If we had the patience, I would have loved to open this bottle in another five years or so.  Sadly, we simply don’t have that kind of patience or the number of bottles in our inventory to last that long.

SCORE (on a 100-point scale)

93

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

GOOD  -  EXCELLENT

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.windwardvineyard.com/

2006 Brian Carter Cellars Byzance

DATE CONSUMED

Sunday, March 3, 2013

VINTAGE

2006

WINERY/PRODUCER

Brian Carter Cellars

WINE NAME

Byzance

TYPE OF WINE

Red blend

COMPOSITION

61% Grenache, 21% Syrah, 18% Mourvedre

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

N/A

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

Columbia Valley, Washington

ALCOHOL CONTENT

14.2%

PRICE PAID

$29.99

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

We bought this bottle at Total Wine & More earlier this month after falling in love with the 2007 Byzance (also bought at TW&M).  We buy very little wine from wine stores (except daily drinking affordable bubbles, whites, and reds from BevMo during their 5Cent Sale), but after being “wow’d” by the 2007 Byzance, we just HAD to try another Byzance (not sure why TW&M had the 2007 before offering the 2006, but that’s an irrelevant point).

BOUQUET

This is my kind of wine, based on the bouquet.  I love earthy, “dirty” wines (my own term for earthy wines), and while most wines exhibit fruity and/or spicy bouquet elements, the most prevalent characteristic for this wine is its earthiness.  The red/black fruit and spices reveal themselves as a subtle undercurrent on the nose, but this wine’s “dirtiness” is its most compelling bouquet factor.

TASTING NOTES

This is a delicious, rich, creamy Southern-Rhone blend.  As previously-mentioned, I absolutely LOVED the 2007 Byzance, and though I really like this wine, I do indeed prefer the 2007.  As best I can remember, the 2007 was a bit more spicy and fruity, whereas this wine is much creamier.  Either way, this is a wonderful red blend.

The most noticeable trait of this wine is its rich, creamy, slightly oaky essence.  Showing classic GSM traits, there’s also beautiful red and black fruits (plums, blackberries, and raspberries), in addition to savory herbs and black pepper.  I believe a lot of the creaminess comes from the undercurrent of oak, which also lends the wine a slightly vanilla sub-current.  I HATE comparing wines and/or vintages to others (which is usually very unfair and just not quite right, because the weather has a MAJOR influence/impact upon a wines essence), but because I absolutely loved the 2007 Byzance, I just had to go back to Total Wine & More and try another Brian Carter Cellars wine.  When we bought this wine, we also bought a bottle of Brian’s 2008 Abracadabra, which we will probably try later this year, if not next.

No matter how you slice it, this is a very nice, creamy, spicy, earthy (“dirty”), delicious GSM.  It’s possible I prefer the 2007 because that blend included Counoise and Cinsault, which, like any/all blends, every varietal brings something interesting and different to the party.  I’ve been a HUGE fan of GSM blends for years.  But in my humble opinion, “the more, the merrier.”  Again, this wine is fabulous.  If you enjoy rich, creamy, spicy, “dirty” Southern Rhone blends, this one’s difficult to beat.  I cannot WAIT to try the 2008 Abracadabra. 

In case you missed my musings about the 2007 Byzance, I had never even heard of Brian Carter Cellars before we exchanged a couple of over-priced/under-performing Napa Valley Cabernets for several highly-rated and nicely-priced alternate wines about six months ago.  I am SO glad that we returned those over-priced Cabernets because that’s how we discovered the fabulous red wines of Brian Carter Cellars.  Looking VERY forward to opening that 2008 Abrcadabra!

By the way, Byzance is French for “luxurious.”  To quote Dumber-than-Dubya John McCain, “call it a banana if you want.”  Call this luxurious, call it a banana, call it “rich, creamy, silky, “dirty,” delicious, yummy, and/or fabulous,” this is one fantastic GSM blend (Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre).  Once again, Brian Carter Cellars steps up to the plate and hits one out of the park!

Arthur and I belong to five wine clubs.  Living in California, there are obviously hundreds/thousands of wonderful wineries that we would love to belong to their wine clubs.  Because The Golden State offers so many wonderful wines, we’ve never considered belonging to a non-California wine club (we prefer to eat and drink locally whenever possible).  But Brian Carter Cellars is now at the top of our list of non-California wineries that we would very seriously consider joining.  The 2008 Abracadabra just might be the deciding factor.  Stay tuned……

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We paired this beauty with simply-spiced lamb chops (Kosher salt and black pepper) and like most/any other GSM blend, this wine would just about pair beautifully with any red meat dish (meat loaf, pot roast, any/all steaks, lamb shanks/chops/racks, etc.).

AGING POTENTIAL

This wine is drinking beautifully right now and will probably continue to age, mature, and develop nicely for another 10 to 20 years.

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/

2003 Eden Hall Shiraz-Viognier

DATE CONSUMED

Saturday, March 2, 2013

VINTAGE

2003

WINERY/PRODUCER

Eden Hall

WINE NAME

Shiraz-Viognier

TYPE OF WINE

Red blend

COMPOSITION

95% Shiraz, 5% Viognier

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

N/A

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

Eden Valley (a sub-appellation of the Barossa Valley), Australia

ALCOHOL CONTENT

14.5%

PRICE PAID

$19.99

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

I got four bottles from winestilsoldout.com (wtso.com) in February 2013 for $19.99 a bottle with free shipping.

BOUQUET

This wine has a gorgeous, chalky/earthy, herbal/spicy, dark-fruited nose.  Based on how dark this wine pours and the nice bouquet, I can’t WAIT to taste this beauty!

TASTING NOTES

Wow, this is a FANTASTIC Australian Shiraz (with 5% Viognier added to make things even more interesting; the Aussies are famous for adding a bit of Viognier to their Shiraz; based on how successful that can be, I wonder why other countries don’t do that?!?!).  First thing I noticed: this wine doesn’t just pour dark; this wine is practically black (and that is NOT an exaggeration).  If you like dark, rich, creamy, smoky, spicy, fruity, inky Australian Shiraz, this is YOUR wine!

There is an abundance of dark/black/blue fruits up front (plums, black berries, blueberries), along with a basketful of savory herbs like sage, rosemary, and a truckload of black pepper.  Being 10-years-old-ish, this wine is beautifully well-aged, with smooth, silky tannins, mellow, perfectly-structured acidity, with a smoky and slightly oaky undercurrent.  Eden Hall managed to extract every last nuance of flavor, color, and aroma from their grapes when making this fantastic wine.  This is one of the best Australian Shiraz I’ve EVER had.  Quite frankly, this is one of the best Syrahs I’ve ever had.

This wine is a perfect example why people should properly age/cellar their red wines.  One of my biggest pet peeves in the world: restaurants that are selling 2011 red wines, which, no matter the varietal and no mater what region they come from, are WAY too young to be drunk in March, 2013.  In a perfect world, most (practically all?) red wines should be aged/cellared for at least five to ten years.  Most wines that have had time to mature and mellow-out (like the wine under review here) exhibit creamy, silken tannins that aren’t as exuberant and obnoxious as they were when they were only two or three-years-old.  Young wines can be fruitier, more acidic, and more astringent.  In my humble opinion, that’s NOT an ideal situation.  I prefer the more mellow and creamy reds that show maturity and depth-of-flavors (like this shinning example). 

This wine is THEE perfect reason why any/everybody should be a member of winestilsoldout.com (wtso.com, and no, I have no affiliation with the organization).  They send out e-mails with offers on wines where wineries are blowing-out their inventories they need to sell/get rid of.  Sometimes the wines are new, but (as is the case with this wine) sometimes the wineries need room (or the money?) to make room for their new vintages.  This is one of the best wines I’ve ever bought on wtso.com.  This is a phenomenal wine for $20 a bottle.

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We paired this fabulous red with an old stand-by: thick rib eyes spiced with Kosher salt, black pepper, and Herbs de Provence, smothered in Arthur’s world-famous mushrooms.    As one would expect, this wine paired PERFECTLY with the steaks.  Because of the rich, creamy, spicy elements of this wine, this wine would also pair well with curried lamb shanks and just about any/every other red meat dish (lamb chops, meat loaf, prime rib, etc.).

AGING POTENTIAL

This wine is drinking unbelievably/gorgeously right now and thanks to its “legs” (structure), I would imagine it would continue to mature and age beautifully well for another five to ten years.

SCORE (on a 100-point scale)

94

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

EXCELLENT (based on the wtso.com price of $19.99 a bottle)

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.edenhall.com.au/

Wines til sold out: http://wtso.com/

2008 Hedges Family Estate Red Mountain

DATE CONSUMED

Saturday, February 02, 2013

VINTAGE

2008

WINERY/PRODUCER

Hedges Family Estate

WINE NAME

Red Mountain

TYPE OF WINE

Red blend

COMPOSITION

36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, 14% Syrah, 11% Cabernet Franc, 6% Malbec

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

Six different Red Mountain vineyards

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

Red Mountain, Washington

ALCOHOL CONTENT

13.5%

PRICE PAID

Unknown (this was a gift from a friend)

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

Our friend John brought this over to our house in November, 2011

BOUQUET

This wine has a nice, spicy, earthy, slightly oaky bouquet, in addition to the black and red fruits on the nose  (in other words, this wine has a typical American Bordeaux blend bouquet).

TASTING NOTES

This is a very nice red blend, with a mostly red fruit flavor profile (raspberries and cherries), along with a healthy dose of black fruit as well.  This is a medium-bodied blend with a very moderate alcohol level, which is very refreshing since I’m used to California rich, creamy, spicy, alcoholic fruit bombs.  Which means this is a very nice, well-balanced blend with not too much of anything (fruit, oak, spices, alcohol, acid, etc.).  I enjoy a big, bold, brash, obnoxious red wine as much as anybody, but every once in a while, it’s pleasant to enjoy a sublime, subdued, quiet, delicious, well-made wine.  I’m assuming partly due to the six different varietals used in this blend, this wine has a very nice flavor profile (though not extraordinarily deep and/or complex), along with beautiful earthiness, spiciness, ever-so-slightly oakiness, perfect acidity and alcohol content, with a smooth, lingering finish that knows exactly how long to stick around and when to get the hell off of my palate.

I’ve had more compelling Bordeaux-styled red blends, but for an affordable Washington red blend (according to Hedges website, this wine has a retail price of $25), if you’re partial to Bordeaux blends, this is one heck of a bargain. 

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We served this wine with Arthur’s beef stew, which paired very nicely with the beef, veggies, and spices.  Because this blend shows beautiful restraint, it would also pair well with a grilled/spiced ribeye steak, prime rib, and just about any other red meat dish.  But because it isn’t a Fruit/Spice/Cream/Earth/Alcohol/Oak Bomb, I would stick with more restrained red meats, especially simply-spiced steaks and prime rib.  Spicy lamb dishes would pair better with Zins, Syrahs, Petite Sirahs, and Cab Savs, but this beauty would pair perfectly with a simple stew (like what we had tonight) or a simple grilled steak.

 

AGING POTENTIAL

This wine is drinking very well right now and should continue to age, mature, and develop nicely for another ten years or so.

SCORE (on a 100-point scale)

88

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

GOOD (based on the winery’s website suggested retail price)

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.hedgesfamilyestate.com/

2008 Linne Calodo Oustider

DATE CONSUMED

Sunday, January 27, 2013

VINTAGE

2008

WINERY/PRODUCER

Linne Calodo

WINE NAME

Outsider

TYPE OF WINE

Red blend

COMPOSITION

72% Zinfandel, 18% Syrah, 10% Mourvedre

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

N/A

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

Paso Robles, California

ALCOHOL CONTENT

15.9%

PRICE PAID

$55

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

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

BOUQUET

Based on this wine’s varietal make-up, the bouquet reveals classic Zin, Syrah, and Mourvedre characteristics, especially dark fruit, peppery and savory herbs, earth, and suggestions of oak.

 

TASTING NOTES

After getting home from our Paso wine adventure in November 2010, I made a note on my wine inventory to NOT drink this wine until after 2012.  As best I remember, this wine struck me as being very tight and spicy-beyond-belief and thought a couple of years in the cellar would allow this wine to reach its potential and to mellow-out a bit.  We bought it assuming it had magnificent potential (and even in 2010 it was fantastically delicious), but like most young, rambunctious, rowdy red wines, allowing it to “chill-out” for a couple of years almost always helps it to calm down and gain its composure and balance.  Let’s see if those two+ years in the cellar helped or hurt this exuberant young Whippersnapper………….

This is one of the best red blends I’ve ever tasted out of Paso Robles.  It’s rich, creamy, spicy, smooth, well-balanced, and delicious beyond belief!  We decanted it about an hour before dinner, but the wine probably could have benefited from another hour or so of decanting.  If you have this wine at home and want to open it this year (2013), I would suggest cooling it down and decanting it for a couple of hours (or more).

There are acres of black and red fruits (blackberries, raspberries, plums, and sour cherries), along with truck loads of black pepper and savory herbs to accentuate and support the earthy core/essence of this fantastic blend.  The spicy character/essence of this wine is almost to the point of ridiculousness; if you’re as obsessed with black pepper and savory herbs as I am, this is YOUR wine! 

As I’ve already mentioned, I remember this wine being young and spicy and knew that (at least) a couple of years of cellaring would help “tame” this wine’s rambunctiousness.  Sure enough, those 2+ years of cellaring has allowed this beauty to age, mellow, and mature (almost) to the point of perfection.  I was very concerned with the wine’s 15.9% alcohol level, assuming it was going to be a typical, ridiculous, high-octane Paso Fruit Bomb, but despite the abundance of alcohol, this is a magnificently well-balanced, beautifully well-structured, absurdly delicious red blend.  Linne Calodo has extracted maximum flavor, balance, elegance, and complexity out of the three varietals used in this magnificent red blend.  You don’t often see Zin, Syrah, and Mourvedre blended together (which is exactly why Stephan Asseo from L’Aventure (also in Paso Robles) fled the strict varietal requirements in France to come to America so he could blend whatever varietals he wanted to mix together!), but based on how well those three varietals “play together” in this wine/bottle, I think more vintners should give it a try.

This wine almost has a Southern Rhone quality to it; if I were to taste this wine blind, I would probably have assumed that this wine was a Syrah, Mourvedre, and Grenache blend.  Although it’s rich and creamy, it’s also somewhat light-bodied, suggesting that Grenache is somewhere in the blend.  Most Zins from Paso are/were ridiculously ripe and fruity (we went over to have dinner at a friend’s house last night and they opened a bottle of 2011 Opolo Zin, who used to make those typical Paso Fruit Bombs, but the Zin last night was actually well-balanced and light bodied), but the 72% Zinfandel used in this blend is gorgeously sublime and restrained.  Adding Syrah and Mourvedre only adds depth and complexity to the blend, resulting in a fantastically rich, delicious, SPICY, yummy, well-balanced, creamy, incredible red blend.

 

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We paired this red blend with one of my all-time favorite red meat dishes: lamb chops topped with a roasted garlic, rosemary, and parsley pesto.  This complex, delicious wine paired beautifully with the lamb chops and would/should pair perfectly with a just about any/all red meat dishes like a grilled ribeye, pot roast, prime rib, and curried lamb shanks.

AGING POTENTIAL

This wine is still young, exuberant, brash, wild, and rowdy and because of it’s alcohol, fruit, spice, and acidity, I would imagine this wine would continue to age well for another ten to twenty years.

SCORE (on a 100-point scale)

93

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

GOOD

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.linnecalodo.com/

2008 Lynmar La Sereinite Chardonnay

DATE CONSUMED

Sunday, January 27, 2013

VINTAGE

2008

WINERY/PRODUCER

Lynmar Estate

WINE NAME

La Sereinite

TYPE OF WINE

White

COMPOSITION

100% Chardonnay

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

Proprietary Cuvee

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

58% Sweeney, 21% Lazy W, and 21% Mill Station (all in the RRV)

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

Russian River Valley, California

ALCOHOL CONTENT

14.1%

PRICE PAID

$63 (10% wine club discount off of the full retail price of $70)

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

We received this bottle in June, 2010 from Lynmar’s wine club

BOUQUET

On Lynmar’s website, they describe this Chardonnay as being very Chablis-like (the above listed vineyards are in some of the cooler regions of the RRV) and based on the chalky, flinty, citrusy bouquet, I believe it!  This is one of the earthiest California Chardonnay’s I’ve ever sampled.  Most Cali Chards are tropical fruit bombs, but this Chard appears as if it will NOT by your grandfather’s Chardonnay.

TASTING NOTES

Sometimes a wine’s bouquet will tell you exactly what it’s going to taste like and other times a wine’s bouquet completely and totally fools you into what you’re about drink.  This wine’s bouquet is as honest as a Girl Scout.

Sure enough, this Chard is indeed chalky, flinty, and citrusy, with deep, complex flavors.  We decanted this wine for about 10 to 15 minutes before drinking it with our scallop appetizer (see below) since we cellared this wine for more than two years. 

As I am want to do, I must inject my big fat mouth/opinion on the subject of wine temperature.  Unlike 99% of the world’s restaurants, I strongly and vehemently believe in properly serving wines at optimal temperatures, which in the case of a quality Chardonnay means serving it at approximately forty-five to fifty degrees, unlike the thirty-five degrees that most restaurants serve their Chards.  Decanting whites that are more than four years old certainly helps with the temperature issue, in addition to aiding and assisting the bouquet to truly “flower.”

This is a fantastic (though certainly not cheap) RRV Chard (probably the best RRV Chard I’ve had in the last one to two years).  In addition to the previously-mentioned chalk, flint, and citrus elements, there’s also a wonderful mineral essence, in addition to cream and vanilla, thanks to the wine being fermented in neutral oak barrels.  I’m also assuming this wine was unfined and/or unfiltered since the wine has a slightly cloudy appearance.  Let me get back on my soapbox for a moment: I LOVE unfined and unfiltered wines; I believe the fining and filtering processes remove some of a wine’s character and depth-of-flavors. 

Looking for an elegant, delicious, beautifully well-balanced and structured Chardonnay from the RRV?  If you can afford it, I would begin with this wine; it’s tough to beat for a sub-$75 RRV Chardonnay.

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We served this wine with seared scallops in a Chardonnay, bacon, caper, grapefruit juice, and butter sauce (my favorite scallop recipe of the past ten years) and the pairing was fantastic!  This wine would also pair well with most white fish dishes but I think the PERFECT accompaniment for this wine is scallops.

AGING POTENTIAL

This wine is drinking gorgeously right now and thanks to its acidity and structure it should continue to evolve and mature beautifully for another five to ten years.

SCORE (on a 100-point scale)

93

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

FAIR (I LOVE this Chardonnay, but at $70+ with sales tax and shipping, it isn’t cheap)

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.lynmarwinery.com/