2007 Tablas Creek En Gobelet (91 Points)

DATE CONSUMED

Sunday, July 29, 2012

VINTAGE

2007

WINERY/PRODUCER

Tablas Creek Vineyard

WINE NAME

En Gobelet

TYPE OF WINE

Red blend

COMPOSITION

48% Mourvedre, 47% Grenache, 5% Tannat

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

Grown and bottled on the estate

REGION/A.V.A.

Paso Robles, California

ALCOHOL CONTENT

15.0%

PRICE PAID

$28.80

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

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

BOUQUET

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

TASTING NOTES

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

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

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

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

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

AGING POTENTIAL

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

SCORE

91

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

GOOD-EXCELLENT

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.tablascreek.com/

2011 Cardwell Hill Rose From Pinot Noir (90 Points)

DATE CONSUMED

Sunday, July 22, 2012

VINTAGE

2011

WINERY/PRODUCER

Cardwell Hill Cellars

WINE NAME

N/A

TYPE OF WINE

Rose

COMPOSITION

100% Pinot Noir

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

N/A

REGION/A.V.A.

Willamette Valley

ALCOHOL CONTENT

12.8%

PRICE PAID

Unknown

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

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

BOUQUET

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

TASTING NOTES

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

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

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

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

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

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

AGING POTENTIAL

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

SCORE

90

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

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

WINERY WEBSITE

www.cardwellhillwine.com

2008 Lynmar Quail Hill Vineyard/RRV Pinot Noir (91 Points)

DATE CONSUMED

Saturday, July 7, 2012

VINTAGE

2008

WINERY/PRODUCER

Lynmar Estate

WINE NAME

N/A

TYPE OF WINE

Red

COMPOSITION

100% Pinot Noir

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

Quail Hill Vineyard

REGION/A.V.A.

Russian River Valley

ALCOHOL CONTENT

14.8%

PRICE PAID

$54.00

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

Received from the winery’s wine club in September 2010.

BOUQUET

This wine exhibits a classic Lynmar/RRV bouquet of red and black fruits, herbaceous herbs (was that redundant??), and black pepper, along with suggestions of oak and earth.

TASTING NOTES

As usual, this is a fantastic, delicious, well-balanced Lynmar Pinot, exhibiting gorgeous ripe fruit, spices, and beautiful balance.

The first element to stand-up and demand attention are red and black fruits like black cherries, raspberries, plums, and blackberries.  Following closely behind the red and black fruit is a significant amount of black pepper and other herbs like rosemary.  The wine is beautifully well-balanced, with a bit of sweet oak (which contributes a kiss of vanilla), true terrior (this is a wine made from estate-grown and –bottled fruit, from one of the best parcels of land from the RRV, in my humble opinion/experience), and a perfect blend of fruit, spice, alcohol, oak, and earth.

The tannins are smooth, soft, supple, and elegant, with just a touch of acidity to add zing and zip to the flavor profile.  The finish is smooth and lingering; after taking a bite of a well-paired protein (see below), this wine will linger for a minimum of 5 to 10 minutes.  This wine is so good, it simply won’t go away; the fruit and spices stick around for quite a while until you’re ready for another bite and/or sip!

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We paired this wine with a spiced pork loin from CostCo, along with oven-roasted potatoes and broccoli; it was a very nice pairing.  This is such a rich, dark, spicy Pinot that I believe this wine would have paired better with a grilled steak or curried lamb shanks.  Definitely do NOT pair this wine with salmon (one of my favorite Pinot pairings); the substantial structure, fruit, spice, and oak/earth would overwhelm a delicate, flaky, oily salmon steak/filet.  Stick with red meat for this wonderful Pinot, like any other quality Zin, Syrah, Merlot, and/or Cab.

AGING POTENTIAL

This bottle was cellared for almost two years, and based on it’s structure/acidity, this wine will probably continue to age beautifully for another 10 to 20 years.  If you happen to have one (or a hundred?) of these bottles in your cellar, do yourself a favor and let it/them continue to evolve and age gracefully for another 2 or 3 years, minimum.  You won’t regret it.

SCORE

91

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

GOOD

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.lynmarwinery.com/

2010 Fratelli Perata Rose of Montepulciano (91 Points)

DATE CONSUMED

Saturday, March 17, 2012

VINTAGE

2010

WINERY/PRODUCER

Fratelli Perata

WINE NAME

Modo Mio

TYPE OF WINE

Rose

COMPOSITION

100% Montepulciano

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

N/A

REGION/A.V.A.

Paso Robles, California

ALCOHOL CONTENT

13.2%

PRICE PAID

$28.00

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

We bought this bottle at the winery’s tasting room in Paso Robles in November, 2011.

BOUQUET

Wow, talk about something different!

This is one of the most interesting smelling and tasting roses I’ve EVER had.  Sadly, the bouquet has an extremely similar aroma to something I once smelled YEARS ago but I can’t quite put my finger on it (Was it a candy I ate as a kid 40+ years ago?  Was it an Italian cookie I ate as a teenager once 40 years ago?  I’m familiar with the aroma, but I just can’t quite recall what it is).  Since my recollection has failed me, let’s put it this way: the wine smells very herbaceous, along with elements of oily quinine (that’s the best way I can describe it), including chalky, earthy notes.

TASTING NOTES

This is a FANTASTIC rose that is unlike any other I’ve ever had (and I’ve had quite a few, mostly Pinot-based along with my fair share of Southern Rhone blends).  Just like the wine’s amazing bouquet, the flavor profile is likewise difficult to describe. 

The wine pours a gorgeous pink-ish/salmon-ish hue and is slightly effervescent.  Like most roses, there are suggestions of strawberries and cream, along with a mountain of herbs and earth/soil.  The wine has a very zesty, spicy finish (unlike most roses) and exhibits fantastic terrior (you can really taste the western side of Paso in this wine!).  According to the back label (applied by hand by the winery’s family members), Fratelli Perata’s wines are dry farmed, unfined, and unfiltered; I’m a HUGE proponent of these concepts as I believe they add depth of flavor, complexity, and character, thus allowing the soil, weather, grapes, and winemaking techniques to shine untethered by modern, mass-produced winemaking applications. 

Note: there was a ton of sediment at the bottom of the bottle, attesting to the claims of unfined and unfiltered wine, which I don’t mind one bit; the proof’s in the pudding!

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We drank this bottle on a cold, rainy, blustery, atypical Southern California day with Italian salami and cheeses.  Unfortunately, this is such a seriously good rose that it was almost a waste of a great bottle with such trifles.  This wine deserves to be paired with seriously good food, such as a Scottish salmon steak smothered in Kosher salt, freshly-cracked black pepper, and Herbs de Provence, or chicken scaloppini (though this wine is so good, it’ll make anything you’re eating taste that much better!).

AGING POTENTIAL

Roses are meant to be drunk young, and this wine is drinking beautifully right now.  Based on the wine’s acidity, tannins, and structure in general, I would imagine this rose would actually continue to drink well for another year or two.  But I can’t imagine it getting any better, so if you have a bottle of this rose in your cellar, fridge, or wine closet, chill it down and drink it up!

SCORE

91

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

Good-Excellent

WINERY WEBSITE

http://fratelliperata.com/

Ambyth Estate Rose (90 Points)

DATE CONSUMED

Sunday, January 29, 2012

VINTAGE

2010

WINERY/PRODUCER

Ambyth Estate

WINE NAME

N/A

TYPE OF WINE

Rose

COMPOSITION

51% Mourvedre, 34% Grenache, 15% Counoise

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

Stonecross & Mark’s Vineyard

REGION/A.V.A.

Paso Robles

ALCOHOL CONTENT

13.6%

PRICE PAID

$27.00

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

We visited Ambyth’s winery in June, 2011 before Paso Robles’ “Pinot & Paella Festival.”  We discovered Ambyth’s fascinating wines during Paso’s “Rhone Rangers” seminar earlier that year and I just HAD to visit them to get a complete tasting of their fantastic wines.  We took my parents along for the ride and had, by far, the most interesting, fascinating, and rewarding wine tasting experience of my life!

We arrived on a cold, blustery afternoon and were met by Ambyth’s winemaker/owner, Phillip Hart, who told us, in essence, “It’s way too cold; let’s go into the house and we can do your tasting in there.”  We were treated to a tasting of Ambyth’s complete lineup, along with their delicious olives and oils, in the middle of their gorgeous home that overlooks their vineyards.  The wines were incredible, the home and views were fantastic, and the warmth and hospitality of Phillip and Mary (along with their adorable 6-year-old-ish son) was absolutely unforgettable. 

After we completed our wine tasting in the home, we went down to the tasting room and did some barrel and vat tasting of an incredible Zinfandel and a fabulous white blend.  As we left, we couldn’t help ourselves and had to buy half a case of their wines and a bottle of olive oil.

If I live to be 150 years old, I will NEVER forget that incredible/unbelievable wine tasting experience! 

BOUQUET

I drank this rose out of a white/sort-of-Chardonnay glass and didn’t get much of a bouquet.  I detected the faintest hints of rose petal, strawberries, and savory herbs, not too surprising given the Rhone varietals used in this rose blend.

TASTING NOTES

Upfront disclosure: I HATE comparing one wine to another; I often find those comparisons unfair, biased, uneven, and just downright not right.  Having said that, I’m about to compare this wine to a VERY similar rose from my favorite California winery, Tablas Creek, also out of Paso Robles.  I opened a bottle of Tablas Creek’s 2010 Rose about two weeks ago, which has a VERY similar compositional blend as Ambyth’s Rose (TC’s Rose consists of  59% Mourvedre, 30% Grenache, and 11% Counoise, almost identical (well, sort of) to TC’s Rose).  If I remember correctly, TC’s Rose was almost 15% alcohol, resulting in a heavy, almost-leaden mouthfeel.  It was a very interesting and, if approached with the right frame-of-mind, tasty Rose. 

While I prefer Pinot Noir Rose’s (read: Lynmar’s 2010 Rose of Pinot Noir, which was by far my favorite rose for all of 2011), this Rose is easily my second favorite rose of the last year or so.  Though similar to TC’s Rose on a varietal basis (as well as blend percentages), this wine couldn’t be more different.  While TC’s Rose was heavy and thick, Ambyth’s Rose is light-bodied, fruity, creamy, and delicious beyond belief!  Part of Ambyth’s philosophy is to make wines without sulfites (whenever possible/feasible), to produce wines at lower alcohol levels (thank you very much), and to be as true and pure to the land and fruit as possible by being Demeter and biodynamic certified (thank you very much again!).  The end result?  An interesting/delicious Rose with strawberry, sour cherry, and raspberry flavors up front, followed by savory herbs and fantastic acidity.  The wine lingers nicely and exhibits a backbone of cream and earthy terrior (it may be psychological, but I believe the Demeter/Biodynamic certification can be “tasted” in the bottle; with low alcohol levels and clean/pure farming principles, along with unfiltered and unfined winemaking, this wine has an essence of purity and “truth” that few wines dare approach).

Bottom line: this is a fantastic, fruity, creamy, earthy, “clean” Rose that most other Roses would die of jealousy and envy if compared to this wondrous beauty.

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We paired this wine with pan-seared salmon steaks and veggies; it was a PERFECT pairing!  I’ve always found Roses difficult to pair with an appropriate food but salmon often seems to be Rose-friendly and such was the case in this instance.  Whether it be a Pinot-based Rose or a Southern Rhone blended Rose, you pretty much can’t go wrong with pairing a quality Rose with a perfectly-cooked salmon steak.

AGING POTENTIAL

Roses are meant to be drunk young, so I would suggest drinking this wine before the end of the year.  At the moment, it’s drinking beautifully right now, but if you have this bottle in your cellar, put it in the fridge to stop the evolution/aging/maturing process and drink this beauty with a seared salmon steak as soon as is feasible.

SCORE

90

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

GOOD – EXCELLENT

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.ambythestate.com/

2008 Loring Wine Company Aubaine Vineyard Pinot Noir (93 Points)

DATE CONSUMED

Friday, January 20, 2012

VINTAGE

2008

WINERY/PRODUCER

Loring Wine Company

WINE NAME

N/A

TYPE OF WINE

Red

COMPOSITION

100% Pinot Noir

SUBNAME/NICKNAME

N/A

VINEYARD DESIGNATION

Aubaine Vineyard

REGION/A.V.A.

San Luis Obispo County

ALCOHOL CONTENT

14.9%

PRICE PAID

$23.46

WHERE/WHEN BOUGHT AND/OR HOW PROCURED

Loring Wine Co. didn’t have a tasting room two years ago and only sold their wines via restaurants, retail outlets, and/or directly from the winery.  They were having a special “blow-out” special for their 2008 Pinots and we took advantage of that sale in April, 2010.

BOUQUET

This wine exhibits classic California Pinot traits: earth, black pepper, and dark/black fruit (black cherries, raspberries, and blackberries).

TASTING NOTES

This wine pours almost as dark as a Zin or Syrah!  This is definitely not a Burgundian Pinot; this is definitely a California Central Coast Pinot Noir.

This is a rich, dark, creamy, oaky, earthy, and spicy Pinot.  If you prefer light-bodied, strawberry- and cherry-inflected Burgundian Pinots, this is definitely NOT your type of Pinot.  If you prefer rich, complex, creamy, incredibly delicious California Pinot Noirs, then this IS your type of Pinot!

This Pinot has a lot going on.  Hitting the palate first is rich and creamy oak, barrels of black pepper and other herbaceous herbs (like rosemary and sage), shovels of earth/dirt, and truckloads of black fruit (black and/or sour cherries, blackberries, plums, and secondary levels of red fruits like raspberries and strawberries (a classic Pinot Noir trait)).  The wine’s structure becomes apparent mid-palate; there’s a fantastic balance of acidity, alcohol (despite it’s rather high 14.9% level), and depth of flavors and heft (this is a rather full-bodied Pinot, like many Pinots hailing from the Central Coast and Sonoma/Napa Valleys).  The finish is long, smooth, and lingering, all in a very good way.

PAIRING SUGGESTIONS

We had this fabulous Pinot with seared rack of lamb and veggies; the pairing was absolutely perfect.  Because this wine is dark and rich/medium-to-full-bodied, I would recommend pairing this wine with most red meats (like curried lamb shanks and grilled rib eyes) and other rich, dark, spicy red stews.  Salmon and duck are classic Pinot pairings; this type of Pinot is definitely NOT that type of Pinot.  I would recommend pairing this wine with any/all dishes that you would pair with a well-made Syrah or Zinfandel. 

AGING POTENTIAL

This wine is drinking beautifully right now and based on it’s acidic, rich, creamy, and well-structured core, this wine will probably drink wonderfully for another 10 to 15 years.

SCORE

93 Points

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

Good-Excellent

WINERY WEBSITE

http://www.loringwinecompany.com/

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/