2007 Lynmar Hawk Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir (93 Points)

DATE CONSUMED

Saturday, December 24, 2011

VINTAGE

2007

WINERY/PRODUCER

Lynmar Estate

WINE NAME

Pinot Noir

TYPE OF WINE

Red

COMPOSITION

100% Pinot Noir

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

Hawk Hill Vineyard

REGION/A.V.A.

Russian River Valley, California

ALCOHOL CONTENT

14.3%

PRICE PAID

$63.00

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

Received from the winery’s wine club in December, 2009

BOUQUET

Oh yeah, this wine came from the R.R.V.; there’s absolutely no doubt about that!  This wine displays CLASSIC R.R.V. elements: earth (especially a chalky character), pepper, and black fruits.  The R.R.V. has one of the most terrior-driven, unmistakable/unique bouquets for Pinot; I can usually spot a R.R.V. Pinot (by nose) within a nanosecond upon first whiff. 

TASTING NOTES

This is a gorgeous, delicious, silky, powerful, yet elegant Pinot.  There are huge, complex flavors going on here, with incredible richness and density.  Fruit-wise, there’s an orchard’s worth of red and black fruits, like black cherries, plums, raspberries, and blackberries, followed by gobs of black pepper and savory herbs.  And of course there are shovels of that chalky R.R.V. earthiness in the bottle as well.

This Pinot exhibits absolutely classic R.R.V. terrior.  It is beautifully well-balanced and structured, perfectly oaked (not too much, not too little, but just right; Goldilocks would have loved this wine if she wasn’t too busy sleeping in other people’s beds!), delicious beyond belief (the flavor profile is miles deep; I mentioned a few fruits and herbs but there’s so much going on here flavor-wise that a flavor expert could probably write pages upon pages of all of the flavor elements present in this bottle). 

Bottom line: this is one of the best Pinots we’ve had all year (the other contenders seem to be other Lynmar Pinots!).  The reason we joined Lynmar’s wine club is because upon our first visit to their tasting room in the R.R.V. we absolutely loved every single wine that we tasted; every Chardonnay and Pinot Noir was exquisite.  California doesn’t produce many Pinots better than this one.

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We paired this wine with an herb-stuffed Italian pork roast (seared, then braised in white wine and onions for hours; it was as good as this wine!) and the pairing was fantastic.  This is a rich, medium-to-almost-heavy-bodied Pinot and should be served with rich, serious meat dishes.  I would imagine this wine would pair best with heavily-spiced steaks, rich stews, oxtail ragu, prime rib smothered in mustard seeds, Kosher salt, and a mountain of freshly-cracked black pepper. 

Pinot is a classic wine to pair with duck and salmon; this Pinot is NOT that type of Pinot.  Pair salmon or duck with a light-bodied Burgundian-style Pinot (like the 2006 Windward Pinot from Paso Robles).  This Pinot should go with rich, heavy, serious meats and stews.  This Pinot thinks it’s a Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa; treat it that way (though it’s MUCH more interesting than a Napa Cab (though there’s nothing on Earth wrong with a quality Napa Cab)).

AGING POTENTIAL

This wine is drinking beautifully beyond belief at the moment.  Based on its structure, I would imagine it would continue to age and mature well for the rest of this decade.  Which begs one question: who on Earth possesses the self-restraint to let a bottle this fantastic sit in their cellar for another ten-ish years?!?!  Certainly not me!  I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night knowing this beauty was seductively aging and teasing and calling out my name every night.

SCORE

93

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

GOOD

WINERY WEBSITE

 http://www.lynmarwinery.com/

2008 Tablas Creek Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc (91 Points)

DATE CONSUMED

Saturday, December 24, 2011

VINTAGE

2008

WINERY/PRODUCER

Tablas Creek Vineyard

WINE NAME

Esprit de Beaucastel Blanc

TYPE OF WINE

Southern Rhone-style white blend

COMPOSITION

65% Roussanne, 30% Grenache Blanc, 5% Picpoul Blanc

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

Estate grown and bottled

REGION/A.V.A.

Paso Robles, California

ALCOHOL CONTENT

13.5%

PRICE PAID

$28.80

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

Received from the winery’s wine club in October, 2009

BOUQUET

I took this bottle out of the fridge for about a half-hour so it wouldn’t be too cold, which should have helped with the wine’s bouquet.  Perhaps there was too much oil in the air (from the fried crab cakes), masking the wine’s bouquet.  What I could detect was some tropical fruits, peach, and melon elements, along with pepper and savory herb undertones.

TASTING NOTES

As consistent as political corruption and pro athlete sex and violence scandals, I knew a Tablas Creek blend would deliver (just a bit more elegantly than the politicians and pro athletes).  This wine exhibits FANTASTIC acidity and minerals, making for a wonderful food wine.  The wine is beautifully well-structured, very rich, smooth, and creamy as well.

Minerals are the most prominent characteristic; a wine critic would describe it as “wet stone” (like any of us has ever sucked on a rock or put a handful of wet pebbles in our mouth before!).  But as a slight defense of those wine critics, if I HAD ever sucked on a rock for any length of time, I would imagine that minerallity would be similar to that of this wonderful blend. 

Next in line are the spices, especially plenty of white pepper and savory herbs like rosemary and thyme.  There’s also a floral “thing” going on here that wasn’t terribly obvious with the bouquet but seemed to standout in the flavor profile.  And of course there’s fruit: kiwi, white peach, a variety of melons, and mango, with just a suggestion of pineapple.

I’m assuming most, if not all, of the fermentation for this wine took place in an oak vessel, based on the rich, smooth, slightly waxy and caramelly mouthfeel.  I also sense an earthiness one doesn’t usually associate with a white wine; that’s evidently Tablas Creek’s world famous terrior!

This is a very nice, food-friendly white blend and a marvelous alternative to the Usual White Suspects (Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc).  The flavor profile is deep and interesting with a long, elegant, lingering finish (which most politicians and pro athletes are sorely lacking). 

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We paired this wine with Arthur’s fresh crab cakes served on top of an arugula and fennel salad.  It was a match made in heaven (like a corrupt politician and a filthy/disgusting prison).  This wine would pair well with a wide range of foods because of its acids, fruits, and minerals, like just about any seafood dish imaginable (raw oysters, linguine and clams, baked/grilled swordfish, etc.), chicken pot pie, or baked garlic chicken.  Hell, this would probably pair well with prime rib (ok, perhaps I’m going a bit too far with that one……).

AGING POTENTIAL

According to TC’s vintage chart, this wine is at peak maturity right now.  I have the impression, however, that there isn’t a lot of life left in this bottle.  This type of TC blend could/would/should usually age well for years, but I sensed “the end is near.”  I could be way off on that, but I would recommend drinking this wine before the end of 2012 (and I have one more bottle of this beauty and will be drinking it soon).

SCORE

91

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

GOOD

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.tablascreek.com/

2006 Tablas Creek Vineyard Tannat (92 Points)

DATE CONSUMED

Saturday, December 3, 2011

VINTAGE

2006

WINERY/PRODUCER

Tablas Creek Vineyard

WINE NAME

Tannat

TYPE OF WINE

Red

COMPOSITION

88% Tannat, 12% Cabernet Sauvignon

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

Estate grown and bottled

REGION/A.V.A.

Paso Robles, California

ALCOHOL CONTENT

15.0%

PRICE PAID

$28

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

We bought this bottle at the winery’s tasting room in November, 2008.  We were so taken-aback by the quality of TC’s wines that we joined their wine club that day (I’m assuming the price we paid for this bottle is the wine club member discounted price).

BOUQUET

This wine exhibits gobs of black fruit and spices on the nose, such as plums, blackberries, black cherries, black pepper, and savory herbs.  This wine’s bouquet foretells a beverage that will pack a wallop of flavors.

TASTING NOTES

Usually, a wine’s bouquet seldom lies.  And this wine is certainly no politician on the campaign trail.  As the nose suggested, there is TONS of black pepper and savory herbs that hit the palate first, followed closely by rich, creamy black fruit (plums, blackberries, and black cherries, just like the bouquet suggested/hinted).  There is also a nice stony/minerally character that compliments the wine’s tannic/acidic structure.  The finish was smooth and well-balanced for such a fiercely flavorful and tannic wine. 

Though only five years since harvest, this wine is still young and fresh.  We decanted this bottle at least an hour before dinner; if you have the same bottle, I would recommend decanting this wine for at least one to two hours. 

I would compare this wine to a Syrah if you’re unfamiliar with Tannat.  This is a very French varietal (whatever that means!) with nicely complex flavors with a firm, tannic backbone.  This is a delicious, dark, rich, creamy wine with fantastic depth-of-flavors.  I was unfamiliar with Tannat three years ago and based on this wonderful bottle, I’ll be on the look-out for other Tannats in the future (especially those from TC!).   Tannat is usually used in blends, and though not 100% Tannat, this is easily one of the most interesting single varietal wines (or close to it) that I’ve had all year.  This is just one more example why Tablas Creek is my favorite California winery.  There’s never a dull moment when there is an open bottle from Tablas Creek on the table!

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We paired this wine with Barefoot Contessa’s Beef Bourguignon and it was a wonderful match.  Because of its rich, creamy, tannic structure, this wine would also pair well with a ribeye steak smothered in Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper, curried lamb shanks, and just about any other red meat dish, especially rich stews.  To quote my cousin Jennifer: “If you love Pabst Blue Ribbon, you’ll love this!”  Jennifer was recently released from a mental institution, so take her quote with a grain of salt (perhaps a mountain of salt would be a more appropriate analogy?).

AGING POTENTIAL

This wine is drinking very well right now, but as I mentioned above, this is still a young, virile, FRESH wine that will probably be at its peak in another five to ten years.  Like a quality Bordeaux/Rhone blend, this wine could probably age beautifully for another 20+ years.  My best guess is that this wine will mature gracefully and elegantly up to about 2040 or so.

SCORE

92 Points

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

GOOD - EXCELLENT

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.tablascreek.com/

2006 Tablas Creek Vineyard Mourvedre (91 Points)

DATE CONSUMED

Saturday, December 3, 2011

VINTAGE

2006

WINERY/PRODUCER

Tablas Creek Vineyard

WINE NAME

Mourvedre

TYPE OF WINE

Red

COMPOSITION

90% Mourvedre, 10% Syrah

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

Estate grown and bottled

REGION/A.V.A.

Paso Robles, California

ALCOHOL CONTENT

14.5%

PRICE PAID

$28

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

We bought this bottle at the winery’s tasting room in November, 2008.  We were so taken-aback by the quality of TC’s wines that we joined their wine club that day (I’m assuming the price we paid for this bottle is the wine club member discounted price).

BOUQUET

Knowing how well TC’s wines age and mature (as well as knowing the characteristics of southern Rhone varietals), I assumed this bottle would need at least an hour or two of decanting, which I dutifully performed.  The bouquet exhibits a cornucopia of red and black fruit (especially raspberries and black cherries (similar to a Pinot Noir)), along with plenty of black pepper and savory herbs, as well as hints of earth and oak.  Blind folded, I would/could have assumed this wine was a Pinot Noir.

TASTING NOTES

Keeping the Pinot Noir theme going, the first thing to hit the palate is rich, spicy, zingy red fruit; like the bouquet suggested, that would mean mostly raspberries, strawberries, and sour cherries.  Next up is TONS of black pepper, along with rosemary, sage, and a few other herbaceous elements.  The finish reveals a bit of earth and oak, along with firm tannins.  This wine, even after five harvest years, is still incredibly young and fresh.  Due to its fantastically well-structured acidity, this wine will probably stay young and fresh for another 10+ years!

This is a delicious, perfectly-oaked, spicy, zingy red with wonderful depth of flavors (just like a quality Pinot Noir) with legs so young and fresh, this wine could probably run three or four marathons after putting in a 12-hour day at work. 

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We paired this wine with Barefoot Contessa’s Beef Bourguignon and it was a wonderful match.  In keeping with the Pinot Noir theme, this wine would also pair nicely with duck, steak, prime rib, lamb, and just about any kind of richly braised meat dish.  Or, you could really get crazy and take my cousin Jennifer’s pairing suggestion: “Serve with Hostess Ding Dongs for dessert!  Unfortunately, NOT good with Twinkies!”  She may have been kidding, but who knows………  She’s that kind of gal.

AGING POTENTIAL

This wine is drinking quite well right now, but as I mentioned above, this is still a young, virile, FRESH wine that will probably be at its peak in another five years or so.  My best guess is that this wine will be eminently enjoyable up to about 2025 or so.

SCORE

91 Points

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

GOOD

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.tablascreek.com/

Fess Paker Frontier Red Lot No. 101 (85 Points)

DATE CONSUMED

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

VINTAGE

N.V.

WINERY/PRODUCER

Fess Parker

WINE NAME

Frontier Red Lot No. 101

TYPE OF WINE

Red

COMPOSITION

A blend of Syrah, Grenache, Petite Sirah, Mourvedre, Cinsault, and Carignane (varietal percentages are never revealed on the back of the label; for current release percentages, consult with Fess Parker’s website).

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

N/A

REGION/A.V.A.

California

ALCOHOL CONTENT

15.5%

PRICE PAID

$9.99

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

Got this bottle at BevMo; anytime I buy anything at BevMo (especially during their 5Cent Sale) I always pick-up a bottle of Frontier Red.

BOUQUET

This wine exhibits plenty of red and black fruit (strawberries, blackberries, plums, and cherries), lots of spices (savory herbs and black pepper), earth, oak, and hints that this will be a rich, creamy wine.

TASTING NOTES

Sho-Nuff, there’s a spice cabinet’s worth of spices going on here (especially savory herbs like rosemary and sage, along with black pepper), along with a Freightliner’s worth of red and black fruit (raspberries, black cherries, plums, and blackberries).  The wine pours very dark and has a well-balanced finish.  The tannins are not overwhelming and the finish is relatively smooth.  This is a typical Frontier Red, which are all rich, creamy, slightly oaky, earthy, and tannic blends.  The flavor profile, which should be obvious by the inclusion of all those fabulous Rhone varietals, is nicely complex and deep, especially for an affordable, quality red blend.

For the price, this wine is tough to beat.  Lot No. 101 isn’t my favorite version of the Frontier Red (I gave Lot No. 91 a score of 90 points; obviously, I LOVED that version).  But for an affordable, rich, chewy, creamy, oaky, earthy red, one would be hard-pressed to find a more consistently delicious red blend out of California.  I’ve had $100 blends that weren’t as good as this $10 bottle!  We’re sitting on a bottle of Lot No. 102 and Lot No. 111.  Think I’ll let those bottles age for a year or two and see how that works.

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We served this wine with racks of lamb spiced with Kosher salt, freshly-cracked black pepper, and chopped rosemary.  The wine paired very well with the lamb and would pretty much go well with just about any red meat dish, especially curried lamb shanks, Beef Bourguignon, or any rich stew.

AGING POTENTIAL

Being non-vintage, this wine is meant to be drunk fairly young and/or upon release.  But this wine has the structure (and the varietals used in the blend have the aging characteristics) to age and mature for several more years.  Despite being non-vintage and affordable, I wouldn’t be surprised if this wine aged beautifully for 10 to 20 years.

SCORE

85

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

GOOD to EXCELLENT

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.fessparkerwines.com/

2007 Volver Tempranillo (83 Points)

DATE CONSUMED

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

VINTAGE

N.V.

WINERY/PRODUCER

Volver

WINE NAME

N/A

TYPE OF WINE

Red

COMPOSITION

100% Tempranillo

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

N/A

REGION/A.V.A.

La Mancha

ALCOHOL CONTENT

14.5%

PRICE PAID

$13

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

Bought this bottle at Hi-Time in Costa Mesa, California about a year ago (Hi-Time is a FANTASTIC wine shop, with a selection that BevMo and Total Wine & More could only dream of duplicating).

BOUQUET

This isn’t a terribly aromatic wine.  We pretty much popped-and-poured (and swirled like crazy, of course), so if you have this wine at home, I would suggest decanting for at least an hour.  That said, there was some spice on the nose (black pepper), along with some red/black fruit.

TASTING NOTES

I had very high expectations for this wine.  We absolutely fell in love with another Spanish Tempranillo that we discovered on our first visit to New York City years ago (Pago Florentino, also from La Mancha).  The Pago Florentino isn’t easy to find (Hi-Time, of course, carries it) and about a year or two ago I read a glowing review of the Volver, so on a visit to Hi-Time we decided to give this bottle a try.

Sadly, this wine doesn’t compare to the Pago Florentino, which is very disappointing.  I generally don’t fault/blame a wine for not meeting my expectations or measuring-up to another wine, but since the review I read was so positive and Hi-Time isn’t exactly around the corner, it was a bit of a let-down that this wine didn’t at least approach the quality of the Pago.

 If I didn’t know this wine was a Tempranillo, I would have guessed that this was a Spanish Syrah, which isn’t a bad thing.  There’s plenty of that Syrah-esque spice (especially black pepper) and an abundance of black and red fruit like plums, blackberries, and raspberries.  Unfortunately, that’s about it!  The wine is a bit flat/shallow, a bit tannic and acidic, and the flavors only go a few inches deep below the surface, whereas the Pago’s flavor profile goes MILES deep.  Perhaps this wine needs a few more years of bottle aging and an hour or more of decanting. 

This isn’t a bad wine by any stretch of the imagination.  Perhaps a bit unfairly, I just expected much more.  And it doesn’t help matters any that I have incredibly fond memories of my beloved Pago Florentino.  I think I’ll buy another bottle of this (perhaps the 2008 vintage has been released), let it cellar for a few years, and then decant for an hour or two.  We’ll see how that goes in 2015 or so.

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We served this wine with racks of lamb spiced with Kosher salt, freshly-cracked black pepper, and chopped rosemary.  The wine paired very well with the lamb and would pretty much go well with just about any red meat dish, as well as (I would assume) Spanish tapas.  

AGING POTENTIAL

See above.  It’s possible this wine needs several more years of cellaring and based on its structure this wine will probably age well for another 10 to 15 years.

SCORE

83

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

FAIR

WINERY WEBSITE

Unknown

2007 Frank Family Vineyards Reserve Sangiovese (93 Points)

DATE CONSUMED

Sunday, November 20, 2011

VINTAGE

2007

WINERY/PRODUCER

Frank Family Vineyards

WINE NAME

N/A

TYPE OF WINE

Red

COMPOSITION

100% Sangiovese

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

Reserve

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

N/A

REGION/A.V.A.

Rutherford, Napa Valley

ALCOHOL CONTENT

15.0%

PRICE PAID

$49.50

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

We got this bottle at the winery’s tasting room (in Napa Valley) in September 2009.

BOUQUET

The bouquet for this wine reveals TONS of spices (mostly black pepper, along with hints of other savory herbs), along with some black fruits, rumors of oak, and a pinch or two of earth/soil.

TASTING NOTES

Here’s another example of a wine whose bouquet COMPLETELY foretells what the wine is going to taste like.  In this case, that means a fantastic Cal-Ital red wine that is very spicy, black-fruited, with a bit of oak and earth.

This wine is redolent of spices (especially cracked black pepper, along with savory herbs like rosemary and thyme) and black and red fruit (blackberries, plums, raspberries, and black cherries).  After those two predominant characteristics, the classic Italian red varietal traits of tannins and earthiness shine bright.  Whereas some Italian reds can be overwhelming with their tannic and earthy qualities, this Napa Valley Sangiovese is unbelievably/beautifully well-balanced, with fantastic structure and evenness.  With orchards of ripe, juicy, delicious black fruit, a container’s worth of black pepper, the PERFECT amount of oak and earth, smooth, easy-going, sweet tannins, a gorgeous creaminess, and a forgiving and complimentary dose of acidity, this is easily the best California Sangiovese I’ve ever had.  This wine is FANTASTIC!

Upfront disclosure:  I’ve never had an expensive, quality Italian Sangiovese and/or Chianti.  Based on numerous frothing and glowing reviews I’ve read of expensive/quality Chiantis, I’m assuming this is what a REAL good Italian Sangiovese/Chianti tastes like.  Napa is (obviously) known for their Bordeaux varietals, but based on how good this wine is, I’d suggest that more Napa wineries give the Italian varietals a chance to shine.  Caparone, Fratelli Perata, and Bella Luna in Paso Robles have proven how well Italian varietals can thrive and prosper on the Central Coast.  Based on this one wine alone, it’s obvious that Italian varietals can/could/should/would do VERY well throughout the Golden State (at least in Napa and Paso Robles)! 

If you’re as ignorant/clueless/inexperienced as I am about Sangiovese, I would describe this varietal as a cross between Zinfandel, Syrah, Grenache, and Petite Sirah.  Thanks to Frank Family Vineyards and this wonderful wine, I will be on the hunt for quality Sangiovese for the rest of my life!

In my humble opinion, this is one of the best sub-$50 bottles you can get out of Napa Valley.  Especially compared to those overpriced and overrated Cabernet Sauvignons!

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We paired this wine with lamb shanks, peppers, onions, and tomatoes with penne.  This wonderful wine went beautifully with the lamb shanks.  Based on how rich, spicy, creamy, and fruity this wine is, the wine would also pair well with steaks smothered in Kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper, prime rib, curried lamb shanks, lamb chops and/or rack of lamb, and an Italian pork roast.  Basically, this wine would go GREAT with any/all red meat dishes.

AGING POTENTIAL

For Sangiovese, this is actually a pretty young red at four years.  I actually was planning on letting this wine continue to age and cellar for another couple of years (at least), but I just couldn’t help myself.  Pairing red wine with lamb shanks and penne is always very difficult.  And since we had been “sitting” on this wine for the past two-plus years, I finally gave-in and had to pour this Bad Boy.  Although drinking beautifully well right now, based on how finely well-structured this wine is, this vintage would probably age nicely for another 20+ years.  The only problem: who in the hell can sit on a fantastic bottle like this for 20+ years?!?!?!  Certainly not me………

SCORE

93

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

GOOD-EXCELLENT

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.frankfamilyvineyards.com/