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/

2008 Zaca Mesa Z Cuvee

DATE CONSUMED

Sunday, August 04, 2013

VINTAGE

2008

WINERY/PRODUCER

Zaca Mesa

WINE NAME

Z Cuvee

TYPE OF WINE

Red blend

COMPOSITION

68% Grenache, 18% Mourvedre, 14% Syrah

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

Estate grown and bottled

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

Santa Ynez Valley, California (Santa Barbara County)

ALCOHOL CONTENT

14.5%

PRICE PAID

$21.50

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

We bought this bottle from the winery’s tasting room in November 2012 when we stopped in Paso Robles on our way back to So Cal after visiting friends near Sacramento over Thanksgiving weekend.

BOUQUET

This wine has a sweet, jammy, spicy bouquet, with significant red fruit on the nose (perhaps the most prominent red fruit bouquet I’ve ever experienced with a Southern Rhone-styled red blend).  There’s also subtle savory herbs, earth, and oak playing “peek-a-boo” in the background.  But that jammy red fruit is like an extremely enthusiastic 10-year-old Sheldon Cooper (reference: “The Big Bang Theory”) sitting in the front row of class waving his hand wildly when the teacher asks, “Who wants to be first to read their science report aloud to the class?”  That red fruit can’t WAIT to stand-up and be noticed.

TASTING NOTES

We discovered Zaca Mesa’s Z Cuvee for the first time in June, 2009 (that bottle was the 2006 vintage, which was also mostly Grenache).  I absolutely fell in love with that affordable, delicious red blend.  Let’s see how the 2008 fares.

Once again, for a Southern Rhone-styled blend for $20-ish, this is a difficult bottle to beat.  Despite that aggressive jammy red-fruited bouquet, this wine is not a coyingly oversweet red.  Zaca Mesa makes fantastic Grenache (when we bought this bottle, we also bought a bottle of their 2010 Grenache, which was amazing and I can’t wait to open that beauty in another couple of years), and with this being Grenache-based, it’s almost a given that this wine, at worst, would be good.

This is indeed a very nice red blend, especially considering the price.  There is indeed plenty of red fruit on the palate, like raspberries and strawberries (thank you, Grenache!), along with a decent amount of darker fruit, like plums and blackberries (thank you, Mourvedre and Syrah!).  Though there wasn’t a significant spice profile on the nose, there is indeed a significant amount of savory herbs flavor-wise, such as “Parsley, sage, rosemary, and thyme” (thank you, Simon and Garfunkel!!), along with plenty of black pepper.  There’s also a tiny bit of oak and earth on the back-end, providing back-up for the wine’s structural integrity of perfect acidity, smooth, silky tannins, with a tart, zingy, lingering finish.  This wine is a perfect accompaniment to food, especially since it’s medium-bodied, very flavorful, and VERY nicely well-balanced.

California’s Central Coast (from the Santa Barbara area in the south all the way up to Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties in the north) is a haven for affordable and quality Southern Rhone-style wines (both single varietal bottlings as well as blends).  Zaca Mesa is just around the corner from one of my favorite Santa Barbara area wineries (Fess Parker, who makes an extremely affordable semi/quasi Southern Rhone blend named Frontier Red, which sells for about $10 at BevMo! and Total Wine & More).  So obviously the soil and microclimate in those rolling hills and valleys are ideal for Southern Rhone varietals, especially Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre (which I call “The Big Three”).  The Paso Robles area makes even better Southern Rhone-style blends (generally speaking).  Tablas Creek makes a couple of blends that have strikingly similar flavor profiles to actual Chateauneuf-du-Papes!! 

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

I paired this wine with a perfectly grilled rib eye, spiced with my Usual Suspects (Kosher salt, black pepper, and Herbs de Provence).  This wine went PERFECTLY with the steak and would also pair well with just about any other red meat, especially lamb (chops, shanks, racks, etc.).  This wine is ever-so-slightly Chateauneuf-du-Pape-esque, and it should age well and pair gorgeously with any red beef dish.

AGING POTENTIAL

This wine is drinking very nicely right now and should continue to evolve and mature/develop for another 5 to 10 years.

SCORE (on a 100-point scale)

89

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

GOOD

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.zacamesa.com/

2010 Fess Parker Santa Barbara County Chardonnay

DATE CONSUMED

Sunday, July 28, 2013

VINTAGE

2010

WINERY/PRODUCER

Fess Parker

WINE NAME

N/A

TYPE OF WINE

White

COMPOSITION

100% Chardonnay

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

The grapes for this wine were sourced from five different vineyards throughout Santa Barbara County (mostly)(I’m too tired and old to list them all, but they’re from the Santa Rita Hills, Santa Maria Valley, Santa Ynez Valley, and even Monterey County)

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

Santa Barbara County, California

ALCOHOL CONTENT

14.2%

PRICE PAID

Retail: $18

Wine club member price: $14.40

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

We received this bottle in June 2011 with our regular quarterly wine club shipment

BOUQUET

This wine has a very stony/minerally bouquet, along with some tropical and stone fruit elements such as pineapple, apricot, and peach.  I also detected some earth and oak on the nose, which isn’t too surprising since Blair Fox (Fess’ head winemaker) likes to partially or fully ferment a lot of Fess’ white wines in oak barrels. 

TASTING NOTES

After writing the above notes concerning this wine’s bouquet, I retrieved the newsletter that came with the shipment that included this wine and, sure enough, this wine was indeed 100% barrel fermented (30% of which were new barrels). 

The second thing I did was scream when I noticed the alcohol level on the bottle label.  I’ve had a lot of red wines with less than 14.2% alcohol, so I was petrified that this wine would be a somewhat typical Fess white where the grapes were picked VERY ripe (resulting in elevated alcohol levels) and that the oak that was apparent on the nose would be overwhelming on the palate.  Luckily, neither concern came to fruition.

This is a good, decent Chardonnay, but sadly, I’ve had much better Chardonnays for a similar price (ranging from $8 to $40).   Since the oak was not overwhelming and this wine carries its alcohol level very well, I was expecting a Chardonnay with more depth and complexity.  Like a ripe, typical California Chardonnay, there’s plenty of tropical and stone fruit (which the bouquet foreshadowed), such as peach, apricot, mango, pineapple, pear, and apple.  The barrel fermentation adds vanilla and richness; this is indeed a medium-to-full-bodied Chardonnay, with rich, creamy, oaky elements mid-palate.  In addition to the oak and fruit characteristics, there’s also honeycomb and herbal elements as well.  The finish is palate-clinging and lingering.

We’ve belonged to Fess’ wine club since 2007; they were the first wine club Arthur and I joined.  Pretty much all of their wines are, at worst, good, going all the way up to fantastic (some of their Pinot Noirs and red blends).  I do have one issue with Fess’ white wines: they tend to use VERY ripe grapes (with high alcohol levels) and the (partial or full) barrel fermentation can make their whites seem a bit heavy, leaden, overly-rich, and almost overbearing.  Although I appreciate all kinds of wines made in all kinds of styles, I do prefer whites that are generally lean and lower in alcohol.  If the wine has incredible depth-of-flavor with a complex flavor profile (along with fabulous balance and a gorgeous structure), I’d have no problems with a Cali Chardonnay with 20% alcohol.  However, I’ve yet come across a fantastic Cali Chard above 14% alcohol with complexity, depth-of-flavor, balance, structure, and elegance that warranted all that alcohol.

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

I paired this wine with scallops pan-seared in curried butter (about one or two tablespoons of butter with a light sprinkling of curry powder) and topped with freshly-cracked sea salt and black pepper.  This wine paired beautifully with the scallops and because of its richness and fruitiness would also pair well with most rich/fatty fishes (like salmon), roasted chicken, lobster mac & cheese, and even pan-seared pork chops.

AGING POTENTIAL

This wine is drinking well right now and will probably continue to age/mature well for another 5 to 10 years. 

SCORE (on a 100-point scale)

85

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

FAIR – GOOD

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.fessparker.com/

2012 Lynmar Rose of Pinot Noir

DATE CONSUMED

Sunday, July 21, 2013

VINTAGE

2012

WINERY/PRODUCER

Lynmar

WINE NAME

Rose of Pinot Noir

TYPE OF WINE

Rose

COMPOSITION

100% Pinot Noir

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

N/A

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

Russian River Valley, California

ALCOHOL CONTENT

14.2%

PRICE PAID

Retail: $25

Wine Club price: $20

Final price with sales tax and shipping: $25.54

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

We received this wine with our quarterly wine club shipment in February, 2013

BOUQUET

This wine has a beautiful “strawberries & cream” aroma (along with cherry), which is probably exactly what it’s going to taste like based on my previous experience with Lynmar’s Rose of Pinot Noir.  There’s also suggestions of savory herbs with just a hint of a rumor of a suggestion of RRV soil/earth as well.

 

TASTING NOTES

I have read quite a few articles/stories about how fantastic the 2012 vintage was throughout most of California.  Evidently, the 2012 vintage was wonderful in the Russian River Valley as well.

As usual, this is by far one of, if not thee, best rose I’ve tasted all year.  Roses that are based on Pinot Noir are almost always my favorite and this beauty fits the bill.  I enjoy roses from Provence and Southern Rhone-styled roses as well, but in my humble opinion, because the Pinot Noir grape possesses unparalleled depth-of-flavors, complexity, and elegance, when properly grown and vinified, it’s rare to surpass a superior rose based on the Pinot Noir grape.

The bouquet for this wine foreshadowed EXACTLY how it would taste.  This wine does indeed taste like vinified strawberries and cream.  In addition to that classic English staple, there are also elements of cherries and savory herbs like sage, along with a stony mineral component.  Few grapes have the complexity and depth-of-flavor of Pinot Noir, and thanks to that heavenly grape, this rose does indeed show incredible depth-of-flavor and complexity (just like most of Lynmar’s Pinot Noirs).  Like most Pinots, there’s black pepper running in the background as well, running side-by-side with all of those fabulous savory herbs.

Some roses from Provence and the Rhone can be bone dry (almost painfully), but this rose strikes the PERFECT balance between dryness, fruit, herbs, earth, minerality (I just made-up that word; it’s the adjective form of “mineral”), earthiness, alcohol, and a flavor profile that my description(s) does absolutely no justice to this fantastic rose!

One quick word about this wine’s 14.2% alcohol level: that is generally quite elevated for a rose.  However, this wine doesn’t taste anywhere NEAR 14.2%.  If I were to taste this wine blindly, I would have guessed around 13%.  So if you’re one of those “Oh my God/Allah/Buddha; this wine’s alcohol is way too frickin’ high!!!!!” relax and enjoy this wine.  That 14.2% alcohol level is as sly as a fox and won’t be noticed.

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

I paired this wine with my favorite rose-pairing food: grilled salmon.  I take a nice, thick salmon steak and generously spice it with sea salt, freshly-cracked black pepper, and Herbs de Provence.  This gorgeous rose paired PERFECTLY with the salmon steak.  About a year ago, Arthur made his fantastic duck confit salad when friends came over for dinner and the 2011 Lynmar Rose of Pinot Noir paired gorgeously with his duck confit salad.  As we all know, Pinot (both red/still wine and rose) pairs fabulously with duck and salmon (along with practically every other protein on the planet).  As I was drinking this wine, I kept thinking about how well this rose would pair with smoked salmon deviled eggs.  I haven’t tried that particular pairing yet, but I would just about bet my life that this rose would go PERFECTLY with smoked salmon deviled eggs.  I know it goes well with duck confit salad and grilled salmon, but I can’t WAIT to try one of our other bottles with those smoked salmon deviled eggs; I’d bet the house that that pairing will be beyond compare!

AGING POTENTIAL

Roses are meant to be drunk young and this beauty is drinking gorgeously right now.  I’ve head years-old roses that were shockingly good and because this rose has a spicy, herbally structure, I would actually imagine that this rose would age well for another year or two or three.  I don’t know about anybody else, but I wouldn’t bet that our other three bottles of this rose will still be “viable” in another year or two, so we’ll be finishing the other three bottles we have in the cellar before the end of the year.  But if you discover a “lost” bottle in your cellar a couple of years from now, please let me know how it’s drinking in 2015 or 2016; I’d bet $100 that this wine will still drink well up to around 2016 or so.

SCORE (on a 100-point scale)

92

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

GOOD – EXCELLENT

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.lynmarwinery.com/

2005 Caparone Zinfandel

DATE CONSUMED

Sunday, June 30, 2013

VINTAGE

2005

WINERY/PRODUCER

Caparone

WINE NAME

N/A

TYPE OF WINE

Red

COMPOSITION

100% Zinfandel

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

Estate grown and bottled

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

Paso Robles, California

ALCOHOL CONTENT

13.3%

PRICE PAID

Retail price: $14; Price paid because I buy this wine by the case(s): $12.01

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

We bought a case of this wine (I ALWAYS buy cases of Caparone wine whenever we’re in or driving by Paso) in November 2012

BOUQUET

This wine has a very earthy, acidic, spicy, red-fruited bouquet.  This wine smells like it’s going to be a rustic, classic, austere Italian-styled red wine.  And based on the fact that I’ve had several vintages of Caparone’s Zin, I would just about guarantee that that’s exactly what it’s going to taste like!

 

TASTING NOTES

We discovered Caparone in October 2007 when we went on a wine trip to the Paso and Santa Barbara wine countries with friends (we rented a beach house in Cambria for a week and went all OVER Paso Robles for 3 or 4 days). 

Caparone is not your typical Paso winery.  It is a father and son operation, very unassuming/not pretentious, and in addition to their fabulous Zin, they also make FANTASTC bottlings of three noble Italian varietals (Sangiovese, Nebbiolo, and Aglianico).  Their wines are unfined and unfiltered (which I REALLY like/prefer) and all their wines are the same price ($14).  In case you hadn’t noticed, their Zin is not your typical Paso Fruit Bomb; Caparone’s Zin has only 13.3% alcohol, is unbelievably well-balanced, and has a depth-of-flavor that most Cali Zins would envy.  The tasting profile is also atypical of most Paso Zins.

Whereas most Cali Zins have a black fruit profile, Caparone’s Zin has mostly, if not all, red fruit in its flavor profile; there’s sour cherry, raspberry, and currant fruit, along with a MOUNTAIN of savory herbs (rosemary especially) and a universe-worth of black pepper as well on the palate.  This wine is rich and viscous, exhibiting more terrior than 99.9% of any/all wines I’ve ever tasted.  Also contributing to its fabulous earthy/terrior essence, Caparone’s wines are unfined and unfiltered, which, in my opinion, allows the vineyard’s soil and essence to shine brightly.  I’ve always felt that fining and filtering wine extracts critical elements (both flavor-wise and terrior-wise) from its profile, and this Zin SCREAMS depth-of-flavor and terrior.  I’ve used the term “dirty” wine many times before (wines that parlay their sense-of-place (terrior) as well as earthiness) and this is one dirty wine (in only the best of ways)!!

Once again, this is NOT your typical Paso Zin.  Whereas most Paso Zins are high-octane fruit bombs with limited depth and soft, silky tannins, this wine is rich, creamy, earthy (“dirty”), spicy-beyond-belief, delicious-beyond-belief, viscous, slightly oaky, with a depth-of-flavor that never seems to cease and a finish that goes on for light years.  It is also tannic and acidic, but in only the best of ways; this wine begs to be paired with good food, whereas a typical Cali Zin can be drunk on its own.  If you’re adventurous and well-versed on what a good, interesting, not-your-father’s Zin should be like, you really owe it to yourself to give this Zin a try.  If you prefer safe, fruity, high-alcohol Zins, look elsewhere.  If you like to challenge your preconceptions of what a Zin can/should be, and you’ve had it up to HERE with typical Zins, you truly must give this Zin a spin.  It’s fabulous.

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We paired this wine with Arthur’s fantastic baked beans and BBQ’d pork ribs (baby backs) and this Zin could NOT have gone any better with this meal.  Because this Zin is big, bold, and brash (yet well-balanced, different, and elegant in its own way), I would pair it with dishes that can handle that kind of character, such as a heavily-spiced grilled steak, curry dishes, just about any kind of red beef dish, and something as traditional as BBQ’d ribs or hamburgers (especially on the 4^th of July!!!).

AGING POTENTIAL

Most Zins are not known for their age-worthiness, but due to this beauty’s structure (acidity and tannins especially), I would imagine this wine would continue to evolve and mature beautifully for another 10 to 25 years.  At close to eight years post-harvest, this wine is drinking fantastically right now.  And like all of Caparone’s wines (especially their wonderful Italian reds), this wine will probably age perfectly for 20 to 30 years after bottling.

One side note: the 2005 Zin is Caparone’s current Zin release (this is not a wine I bought YEARS ago).  I don’t know if Caparone makes a TON of Zin and it takes years to sell through their vintage(s) or if they purposely and slowly bottle-age their wine and slowly release it to the public.  Either way, if you’re looking to pick-up a well-aged and unique  Paso Zin for an incredible price, you only have one winery to visit: Caparone!

SCORE (on a 100-point scale)

92

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

EXCELLENT

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.caparone.com/