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: November 2008
Bouchaine Estate Chardonnay 2006
Bouchaine, Napa Valley – Carneros, Estate, Chardonnay 2006 The nose combines freshly split wood, vanilla, toast and stone fruits. The mouth is full-on with oak essence and butter layered over peaches and green apples. The wine received all of the … Continue reading
Posted in California, Carneros, Chardonnay, Napa Valley
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Cayuga Ridge Cayuga Cuvee
Cayuga Ridge Estate, Cayuga Lake, Cayuga Cuvee This wine is very aromatic, sporting candied fruit and floral notes. The flavor is quite reminiscent of Riesling with zippy lime and plenty of acidity – very refreshing. There is no indication of … Continue reading
Posted in Cayuga Lake, Finger Lakes, New York
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Bella Late Harvest Zinfandel 2004
Bella, Dry Creek Valley, Late Harvest, Zinfandel 2004 If you can imagine drying some blackberries and dusting them with black pepper, that’s what this wine smells like. The jammy fruit really pops in the mouth and is beautifully sweet. P&B … Continue reading
Skouras Saint George 2006
Domaine Skouras, Nemea, Aghiorghitiko, Saint George 2006 The grape is spelled both ways on the label thus the redundancy that you see in my post – good for both sides of the Atlantic. The nose features dried and fresh fruits, … Continue reading
Posted in Greece, Nemea, Saint George
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Drouhin Beaujolais Nouveau 2008
Joseph Drouhin, Beaujolais, Nouveau 2008 This is a very clean Nouveau with traditional bubble gum in the nose. The mouth is an explosion of the fruity style you expect, with tart acidity and a bit of tannic grab – nice. … Continue reading
Posted in Beaujolais, Burgundy, France, Gamay, Nouveau
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Dr. Loosen Wurzgarten Auslese 2006
Dr. Loosen, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Urziger, Wurzgarten, Riesling, Auslese 2006 In the nose there is minerality wound around limes and a touch of petrol. The mouth is rich and viscous with balancing acidity. This wine is very concentrated and cries out for … Continue reading
Posted in Germany, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Riesling
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Dr. Loosen Blue Slate Riesling 2007
Dr. Loosen, Mosel, Blue Slate, Riesling 2007 The nose is filled with cotton candy and juicy fruit gum. The mouth is light-bodied and has a nice balance of the sweet and the tart, like well-made fresh lemonade. Qualitatswein, bottled in … Continue reading
Posted in Germany, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Riesling
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Koster-Wolf Riesling Trocken 2007
Koster-Wolf, Rheinhessen, Riesling, Trocken 2007 In the nose you sense peaches and floral notes. In the mouth, the wine i dry and austere, quite acidic, with a sense of drinking lemon juice. Qualitatswein, gutsabfullung in Albig 12% $11.99 for a … Continue reading
Posted in Germany, Rheinhessen, Riesling
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Rippon Pinot Noir 2006
Rippon, Central Otago, Lake Wanaka, Pinot Noir 2006 This vintage sports smoky and toasty notes in the nose. The mouth is densely packed with fruit and the ample acidity carries the flavor for a long time. Notes on the previous … Continue reading
Posted in Central Otago, Lake Wanaka, New Zealand, Pinot Noir
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Sherwood Pinot Noir 2007
Sherwood Estate, Marlborough, Pinot Noir 2007 Brambles, earth and green spices mark the nose and the fruit is still in the background, waiting to come out. In the mouth though, the fruit is poignant, framed by lots of acidity. Proprietors … Continue reading
Posted in Marlborough, New Zealand, Pinot Noir
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ZD Pinot Noir 2004
ZD, Carneros, Pinot Noir 2004 The black red fruits are jammy and sweet in the nose of this wine. This is developing nicely, with complexity coming with time in the bottle yet ample fruit at this youthful stage. This wine … Continue reading
Posted in Carneros, Pinot Noir
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Buena Vista Pinot Noir 2005
Buena Vista, Carneros, Pinot Noir 2005 There is warm, sweet, stewed fruit with brown spices in the nose. The mouth is oaky, soft in texture with acidity to frame it yet it’s warm and the fruit is receding. The fruit … Continue reading
Posted in California, Carneros, Pinot Noir
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Roche Pinot Noir 2006
Roche, Carneros, Pinot Noir 2006 In the nose there’s cherry liqueur, earth and a sense of oxidation. The palate is quite gripping. Estate Grown, Produced and Bottled in Sonoma 14.5% $27.95 at the winery Roche Winery
Posted in California, Carneros, Pinot Noir
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Toad Hollow Rose 2007
Toad Hollow, Sonoma County, Eye of the Toad, Pinot Noir, Dry Rose 2007 Fresh, aromatic and fruity in the nose; plush and very fruity in the mouth. V&B in Sonoma 11.5% $7.99 at Bottle Barn Toad Hollow Cellars
Posted in California, Pinot Noir, Rosé, Sonoma County
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Laurent-Perrier Demi-Sec
Laurent-Perrier, Champagne, Demi-Sec nv The nose is sweet and toasty. The wine is moderately concentrated and mildly sweet making for an easy starter beverage at Sunday morning brunch. The grapes behind this wine are 45% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir and … Continue reading
Posted in Champagne, Sparkling Lightly Sweet
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Schramsberg Reserve 2001
Schramsberg, North Coast, Reserve 2001 The nose is very smoky and toasty, with a sense of freshly buttered pastry. In the mouth, the wine is reminiscent of a fresh pastry made with lemon and custard and topped with lots of … Continue reading
Egly-Ouriet Brut Rose Grand Cru
Egly-Ouriet, Champagne, Grand Cru, Rose, Brut nv Concentrated red fruits mark the nose. The mouth repeats this expression of fruit on a layer of minerality. – very young, very dense and very long – yes. The grapes are sourced from … Continue reading
Posted in Champagne, Chardonnay, France, Pinot Noir, Sparkling Dry
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Gloria Ferrer Carneros Cuvee 1998
Gloria Ferrer, Carneros, Late Disgorged, Carneros Cuvee, Brut 1998 There is lots of perfume in the nose and the mouth is soft and a bit sweeter than other bubblies labeled as brut, a sparkler with ginger ale and candy-like flavors. … Continue reading
Posted in California, Carneros, Sparkling Dry
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Jacquesson Cuvee No.732
Jacquesson, Champagne, Cuvee No.732, Brut The name of Jacquesson’s nv brut changes with each successive base wine, the current release being No. 732. The nose features floral notes, sweet in nature, like jasmine with a sense of candied fruits – … Continue reading
Posted in Champagne, Chardonnay, France, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, Sparkling Dry
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Tarlant Brut Zero
Tarlant, Champagne, Brut Zero The nose features minerality, toast and citrus fruits. The mouth is bone dry and austere, like biting into the pith of an orange. The grapes are roughly 1/3 each of the players in Champagne, namely Chardonnay … Continue reading
Posted in Champagne, Chardonnay, France, Pinot Meunier, Pinot Noir, Sparkling Dry
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La Spinetta Moscato d’Asti 2007
La Spinetta, Moscato d’Asti DOCG, Bricco Quaglia 2007 This is a personal favorite from the legend. I was blessed to meet Rivetti before the skyrocket to fame. This wine remains an affordable way to taste some of this estate’s expertise. … Continue reading
Posted in Italy, Moscato d'Asti, Muscat, Piemonte, Sparkling sweet
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Mas Blanc Banyuls 2006
Domaine du Mas Blanc, Banyuls, Rimage 2006 There are Port-like notes of dried and stewed fruits topped with a nutty piece of pastry. The wine tastes of sweet black fruits and chocolate, sweet but not overly so, tasty with some … Continue reading
Posted in Banyuls, Fortified dessert, Grenache, Roussillon
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Fontanel Rivesaltes Ambre 1998
Domaine Fontanel, Rivesaltes, Ambre 1998 This golden wine smells of citrus peel and nuts. In the mouth it like eating nuts and toffee, very sweet and viscous with acidity that offsets the richness and a little warmth from the fortification … Continue reading
Posted in Fortified dessert, France, Grenache Blanc, Roussillon
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La Caminade Cahors La Commandery 2004
Chateau La Caminade, Cahors, La Commandery 2004 There’s a slathering of new oak on this wine, showing toast, vanilla and smoke in the nose. In the mouth there is great density and balance, the tannin not dominating but rather playing … Continue reading
Posted in Cahors, France, Malbec
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Cedre Heritage 2004
Chateau du Cedre, Cahors, Cedre, Heritage 2004 The grapes are 90% Malbec and 10% Merlot. The nose combines the rugged side of wine-love, with horse blanket, cheese and ripe berry fruit. In the mouth the wine is quite tannic and … Continue reading
Posted in California
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Fonsainte Corbieres 2006
Domaine de Fontsainte, Corbieres 2006 The rose wines from this domaine have shown complexity and suppleness. This wine exhibits cedar, vanilla, a sense of the garrigue and some earthiness in the nose. The tannins are supple, the acidity is lively … Continue reading
Posted in Corbieres, France, Languedoc
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Bunan Cotes de Provence
Domaines Bunan, Cotes de Provence 2006 The nose is very lively with fruit, as in some whole berries in the fermentation amping up the fruitiness. This follows through in mouth with ample acidity and ripe tannins – nice. Mis en … Continue reading
Posted in Cotes de Provence, France, Provence
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Mas Jullien Rose 2007
Mas Jullien, Coteaux du Languedoc, Rose 2007 The nose is clean and full of red fruits with brambles as well. In the mouth the red fruit shines and there is structure, reminding us that this was produced from black grapes, … Continue reading
Posted in Coteaux du Languedoc, France, Languedoc, Rosé
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Jean-Louis Denois Roussanne 2006
Domaine Jean-Louiis Denois, Vin de Pays d’Oc, Les Oliviers, Roussanne 2006 Unfortunately this wine is exhibiting some very strong rotten egg aromas at first opening. With time the fruit comes through and the funk blows off but will everyone wait? … Continue reading
Posted in France, Roussanne, Vin de Pays d'Oc
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