Wine Regions & Grapes
Sampling of Wineries
Acorn Andrea Oberto Atlas Peak Benziger Beringer Blandy's Bodega Navarro Correas Burgans Cantina Terlano Chimney Rock Chronicle Domaine Carneros Domaine de la Mordoree Dow's Dr. Loosen Emilio Lustau Fonseca Foxen Gaston Riviere Glen Ellen Hess Collection Innocent Bystander Kendall-Jackson Korbel La Caudrina Luna Vineyards Madeira Wine Company Martin Codax Masi Merryvale Mulderbosch Navarro Vineyards Pahlmeyer Roederer Estate Ruggeri Sawyer Cellars Sbragia Six Sigma Winery St. James Steltzner Vineyards Trinchero Winery Trione V. Sattui Winery William Fevre Wilson Winery
Monthly Archives: September 2007
Port Types Compared
Taylor Fladgate, Porto, Late Bottle Vintage 2000 Porty and pruny with a noticable sense of the fortifying spirit – true to type and sometimes the wine seems to have the alcohol integrated even better than usual. Bottled in 2006 in … Continue reading
Zin and Primitivo
Gran Sasso, Puglia, Primitivo IGT 2005 Tasted in May ’08 this wine was blooming with brett and would repulse most consumers. A bottle tasted later in the summer proved to be a different animal. Oaky and earthy with new world … Continue reading
Sangiovese at Home and Abroad
Isole e Olena Chianti Classico DOCG 2003 Tonight’s bottle showed some herbaceousness and tannic grip, as well as evolving fruit. The bottle opened earlier in the year showed classic cherry fruit and complexing earthiness with some evolution and stewed fruit. … Continue reading
V Squared
This flight pairs two of Italy’s well-known white grapes. Vernaccia from Tuscany and Vermentino from the island of Sardegna. Classically the Vernaccia has been described as crisp and full of minerality while the Vermentino was known for its broader, almost … Continue reading
Posted in Italy, San Gimignano, Sardegna, Tuscany, Vermentino, Vernaccia
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Chocolate Dessert
Jocelyn Lonen Napa Valley Zinfandel Port 2004 This wine combines sweet fruit, an essence of chocolate and spirit. One of the class affectionately described it as like a chocolate candy filled with liqueur, ‘alcohol in an envelope of something sweet’. … Continue reading
Posted in Fortified dessert, Port, Zinfandel
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Zin Challenge
This flight features 5 Zinfandel from 2001 to 2005 sourced from Napa and Paso Robles. Eberle Paso Robles Zinfandel 2005 Like eating a sweet cherry pie, this wine combines rich fruit, glycerol and oak into a viscous delight. Even with … Continue reading
Posted in California, Napa Valley, Paso Robles, Zinfandel
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It’s Not Just for Cooking
Marsala is known the world over but like Madeira it often gets categorized as a mere cooking wine. This is unfortunate as the flavors can delight and since the wine is out of fashion, it’s price point is attractive. Florio … Continue reading
Posted in Fortified dessert, Italy, Marsala, Sicilia
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Zibibbo
Cantine Rallo Moscato di Pantelleria DOC 2003 This is the second bottle of this vintage tasted this year. The Muscat comes through (known as Zibibbo in this part of the world). During the last tasting we placed it side by … Continue reading
Posted in Italy, Muscat, Sicilia
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Island Blends
Planeta Sicilia IGT La Segreta Rosso 2006 Black fruits, mintiness and a moderate amount of extract and some light structure make this an easy drink. 50% Nero d’Avola, 25% Merlot, 20% Syrah and 5% Cab Franc grown at 100-250 metres, … Continue reading
Posted in Italy, Sardegna, Sicilia
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Sicilian Reds
This flight shows two budget Island reds with different personalitites. Nero d’Avola also goes by the moniker Calabrese. Feudo Arancio Sicilia IGT Nero d’Avola 2005 This wine carries on value shown in the 2003. One of the class described the … Continue reading
Posted in Italy, Nero d'Avola, Sicilia
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Island Wine
Southern Italian white table wines have improved by leaps and bounds over the last decade. As in other hot winegrowing regions, temperature control in the cellar is making the difference between wines that smell like nuts and varnish versus fresh … Continue reading
Posted in Italy, Sardegna, Sicilia, Vermentino
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Blandy’s 5 Year Malmsey
Blandy’s, Madeira, 5 Year Old, Malmsey nv This wine is quite consistent in displaying complexity, sweetness and balancing acidity. Again today’s bottle wraps caramel and butterscotch into a good value fortified dessert wine. For me it makes one of the … Continue reading
Gewurz is not second rate
Gewurztraminer has its detractors out there, yet I remain a fan. This flight features two regions that embrace this variety, Mendocino County’s Anderson Valley and sunny Alsace in the eastern reaches of France. Handley Anderson Valley Gewurztraminer 2006 This wine … Continue reading
Posted in Alsace, Anderson Valley, Gewurztraminer, Mendocino County
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Alsatian aperitif
Domaine Weinbach Alsace Reserve Pinot Blanc 2005 This is a gem. There is fresh citrus, stone fruit and floral notes to smell. In the mouth there is a moderate+ amount of acidity and the taste of citrus. This is a … Continue reading
Posted in Alsace, France, Pinot Blanc
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Glorious Gris!
Zenato Delle Venezie IGT Pinot Grigio 2006 This regionally-labeled bottling has been a good value high-acid white. The 2005 emphasized citrus notes. The 2006 tasted in this class showed fruits ranging from citrus to tropical. There is a new world … Continue reading
Posted in Italy, Pinot Gris and Grigio, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County
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California Port
Meyer Family California Port nv This wine was described by one of the students as tasting like a ‘rum raisin chocolate bar’. I can’t improve on that. This wine has complexity, some palpable alcohol as in these wines from the … Continue reading
Posted in California, Port
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Inland Mendocino Zin and Primitivo
This flight features two Mendo wines, one Zinfandel and the other Primitivo. Chiarito Mendocino Estate Bottled Zinfandel 2004 Quite structured with concentration of berries to keep up – a little warm. There’s 11% Petite Sirah in the final blend. Aging … Continue reading
Posted in California, Mendocino County, Primitivo, Zinfandel
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Elegant Zinfandel
The Russian River is known best around the world as the home of great New World Pinot Noir. But we can’t count out the Zin. There are old vineyards delivering concentrated flavors and wines that can be known for their … Continue reading
Posted in California, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County, Zinfandel
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Dry Creek Zinfandel
Wilson Winery Dry Creek Valley Sawyer Vineyard Zinfandel 2005 This is definitely jammy with a healthy dose of black pepper. In the mouth the same jammy fruit and black pepper come through in a structured, tannic package. You might remember … Continue reading
Posted in California, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, Zinfandel
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Sweet treats from the Veneto
La Montecchia Colli Euganei DOC Fior d’Arancio Spumante Dolce 2005 Fresh and full of orange blossom and ginger just like Moscato d’Asti. The taste is strongly reminiscent of ginger ale; perhaps this is adult ginger ale. Today’s bottle was also … Continue reading
Dried grapes dry wine
Valpolicella is a fascinating area where red wines are constructed from varying degrees of dried grapes. This flight runs from straight-on harvested fruit to all raisins, yet each of the wines is dry. Allegrini Valpolicella Classico DOC 2005 The first … Continue reading
Posted in Valpolicella
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Beyond Valpolicella
In the Veneto there are other red wines to discover, beyond the usual suspects Valpolicella and Bardolino. Vignalta Colli Euganei DOC Rosso Riserva 2001 Soft and light-bodied, this wine shows cherry fruit with herbaceous notes and a complexing hint of … Continue reading
Posted in Veneto Red
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Soave
Gini Soave Classico DOC 2005 Stone fruit characteristics yet losing freshness – disappointing compared to previous tasting of the same vintage. Yet, all is not lost. I just purchased another bottle, same vintage same source, and the wine is spot … Continue reading
Posted in Soave
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Veneto Cheer
Ruggeri Argeo Prosecco nv Not much concentration and very little sense of Prosecco bubble gum qualities – disappointing 11% $14.99 at Traveso’s Ruggeri Prosecco di Valdobbiadene DOC Santo Stefano Dry nv Sweet with classic bubble gum flavors. Latest bottle was … Continue reading
Posted in Prosecco
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Tempted by Tempranillo
Tempranillo plays a key role in the Spanish region of Rioja and along the river Duero aka Douro on the other side of the border in Portugal. In the latter country Tempranillo goes by the name of Tinta Roriz or … Continue reading
Posted in California, Castilla y Leon, Douro, Paso Robles, Portugal, Spain, Tempranillo
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Grenache is good
Eno Mendocino County Eaglepoint Ranch Grenache 2005 Soft and full of lolly, 11 mos in neutral French oak, P&B in Berkeley 14.5% $19.99 at BB enowines.com Vinicola del Priorat Priorat DOQ Ònix Classic 2005 Dense berry and cherry fruit with … Continue reading
Posted in Grenache
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Andalucian classics
Lustau, Sherry, Solera Reserva, Light, Manzanilla, Papirusa nv Classic bruised apples and freshness with lots of almonds. Grab the olives for this one. This Palomino-based wine is matured in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Bottling code: 7255 in Oct. ’08, 7255 in … Continue reading
Posted in Amontillado, Andalucia, Fino, Manzanilla, Palomino, Sherry, Spain
Tagged Lustau
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