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: December 2008
Mirassou Merlot 2006
Mirassou, California, Merlot 2006 The smells are of sweet, jammy black fruits. In the mouth this wine is quite supple and slightly sweet, melting a sense of vanilla into the black fruits. A bit of Zinfandel and Syrah augments the … Continue reading
Posted in California, Merlot
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Dancing Bull Cabernet 2006
Dancing Bull, California, Winemaker’s Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 The nose reminds one of a dusty road with sweet flowers and fruit in the background. In the mouth, this Cabernet is a supple, easy drink, mildly sweet and easy. Besides the … Continue reading
Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, California
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Quady’s Starboard 1996
Quady Winery, Amador County, Starboard 1996 The raisins are in full force, chocolate and lots of sweet smells melded with a hint of the fortifying spirit. The mouth sports chocolate and caramel with a strong but appropriate sense of the … Continue reading
Posted in Amador County, California, Port
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Siduri Ven der Kamp Pinot 2006
Siduri, Sonoma Mountain, Van der Kamp Vineyard, Pinot Noir 2006 The nose combines fresh and dried fruits along with the forest floor. The mouth is warm and silky. P&B in Santa Rosa 14.1% $36.99 at Bottle Barn Siduri
Posted in California, Pinot Noir, Sonoma County, Sonoma Mountain
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Hamilton Russell Pinot Noir 2007
Hamilton Russell Vineyards, Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, Pinot Noir 2007 Like the previous vintage, this wine is a rustic style of Pinot. I’d like to try another bottle before passing judgment. Grown, made, matured and bottled on the estate in, Hermanus 13.5% … Continue reading
Posted in Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, Pinot Noir, South Africa
Tagged Hamilton Russell Vineyards
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Sonnet Santa Cruz Mountains Muns Vineyard Pinot Noir 2005
Sonnet, Santa Cruz Mountains, Muns Vineyard, Pinot Noir 2005 There is bright berry fruit, and a bit of Bandaid in the nose. The mouth is still rather tight and the fruit is starting to break out and shine. The vineyard, … Continue reading
Posted in California, Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains
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Thomas Fogarty Santa Cruz Mountains Reserve Pinot Noir 1999
Thomas Fogarty, Santa Cruz Mountains, Estate Reserve, Pinot Noir 1999 There’s quite a sense of the horse saddle at this point in time, with brown spices and prunes and dried fruits. The mouth is drying out and the brett is … Continue reading
Posted in California, Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains
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Savannah-Chanelle Russian River Gunsalus Vyd Pinot Noir 2005
Savannah-Chanelle Vineyards, Russian River Valley, Gunsalus Vineyard, Pinot Noir 2005 The fruit is almost liquer-like in the nose, with a jammy character. In the mouth, the fruit is also vibrant. P&B down in Saratoga. 14.5% $50 at the Winery savannahchanelle.com
Posted in California, Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County
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Innocent Bystander Pinot Noir 2007
Innocent Bystander, Victoria, Pinot Noir 2007 This is one of those Pinots that has the smoky character of an ashtray. In the mouth, there are green characters and astringency – a disappointment from this producer. The grapes are sourced from … Continue reading
Posted in Australia, Pinot Noir, Victoria
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Omrah Pinot Noir 2007
Plantagenet, Western Australia, Omrah, Pinot Noir 2007 The wine smells of earth and cherries. In the mouth, the smells repeat with a touch of the richness of oak. This is a good value Pinot. The grapes are from vineyards in … Continue reading
Posted in Australia, Pinot Noir, Western Australia
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Segura Viudas Aria Cava
Segura Viudas, Cava, Brut, Aria, Pinot Noir nv This seems a sweeter brut than many with some astringency – awkward. This is traditional method sparkling, fermented in the bottle opened and produced in Torrelavit 12% $7.49 at Bottle Barn
Posted in Cava, Pinot Noir, Spain, Sparkling Dry
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Lucien Albrecht Brut Rose
Lucien Albrecht, Cremant d’Alsace, Brut, Rose nv In the nose are candied fruits and flowers. The mouth is quite fruity, moderately acidic with some creaminess – nice value. This wine is all Pinot Noir and the wine spends 9 months … Continue reading
Posted in Alsace, Cremant d'Alsace, France, Pinot Noir, Sparkling Dry
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Williams Selyem Vista Verde Pinot 2006
Williams Selyem San Benito County, Vista Verde Vineyard, Pinot Noir 2006 Tasted at the Wine & Spirts Magazine panel tasting last week, this was one of the eleven of 45 wines passed through to the next round. In the nose, … Continue reading
Posted in California, Pinot Noir, San Benito County
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Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Duckhorn Vineyards, Napa Valley, Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Ripe citrus and floral notes dazzle your nose when you smell this wine. In the mouth, it is round and softer than many SBs, with ripeness of fruit and a little warmth. When … Continue reading
Posted in California, Napa Valley, Sauvignon Blanc
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Oregon Pinot Noir
Cloudline, Oregon, Pinot Noir 2007 There’s vegetative characters and compost with a sense of carbonic maceration. The nose on this wine never seemed to come around. The mouth repeats on the smells and is very light-bodied and low in concentration. … Continue reading
Posted in Oregon, Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley
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Woodenhead Anderson Valley Pinot 2003
Woodenhead, Anderson Valley, Pinot Noir 2003 The wine has developed volatility which shows in both the smell and on the palate yet the fruit is still quite vibrant across the tongue. P&B in Forestville 14.5% estimated price of $40 at … Continue reading
Posted in Anderson Valley, California, Mendocino County, Pinot Noir
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Toulouse Pinot Noir 2006
Toulouse, Anderson Valley, Pinot Noir 2006 Smoky and spiritous in the nose and warm and gripping in the mouth. The wine was aged for 12 months in French oak. P&B in Philo 14.5% $39 at the winery Toulouse Vineyards
Posted in Anderson Valley, California, Mendocino County, Pinot Noir
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Reds from the Northern Rhone
This flight features 3 wines from the Northern Rhone, all 100% Syrah. Domaine Eric et Joel Durand, Cornas, Empreintes 2005 In the nose there is tar, a sense of permanent solution, meat and black fruits. With more air the black … Continue reading
Posted in Cornas, Cote-Rotie, Hermitage, Rhône, Syrah
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Cotes du Rhone Red
Jean-Luc Colombo, Cotes du Rhone, Les Abeilles 2006 This is a juicy-fruity budget offering from the famous Cornas producer. It drinks easily with a little bit of structure. Eleve et mis in La Roche de Glun in Tain 13.5% $??? … Continue reading
Posted in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Cotes du Rhone, France, Grenache, Mourvedre, Rasteau
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Jacques Puffeney Arbois Vin Jaune 1998
Domaine Jacques Puffeney, Arbois, Vin Jaune 1998 The smell of Fino Sherry hits you directly in the nose, that sense of nuttiness and apples. There is also some sense of volatility. In the mouth, you are reminded of tart, green … Continue reading
Clos Lapeyre Jurancon Sec 2007
Clos Lapeyre, Jurancon Sec 2007 This wine is intensly acidic with great concentration of tart, green fruit. The intensity is on a par with what you get in the great Semillons of the Hunter, with an appropriate, underripe character. It’s … Continue reading
Posted in France, Gros Manseng, Jurancon
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Pierre Gonon Saint-Joseph “Les Oliviers 2006
Domaine Pierre Gonon, Saint-Joseph, “Les Oliviers” 2006 This bottle of white Saint-Joseph sports a toasty nose, with minerality and nuttiness. The mouth follows a similar line, with toasty, smoky essence and buttery richnss. This is a fat and weighty white … Continue reading
Posted in France, Marsanne, Rhône, Roussanne, Saint-Joseph
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Ogier Viognier 2006
Michel & Stéphane Ogier, Vin de Pays des Collines Rhodaniennes, Vigonier de Rosine 2006 You would swear this wine is from the New World when you stick your nose in the glass. The peachy fruit is just so vibrant. In … Continue reading
Vieux Telegraphe White Chateauneuf 2006
Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, “La Crau” 2006 The wine today is Brunier’s white CDP. In the nose there is baking bread, straw and a subtle sense of stone fruits. In the mouth the wine is quite weighty, mineral driven … Continue reading
Posted in Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Clairette, France, Grenache Blanc, Rhône
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Huet Clos du Bourg Moelleux 2002
Domaine Huet, Vouvray, Clos du Bourg, Moelleux, Premiere Trie 2002 The nose sports minerality and citrus and the mouth is vivaciously alive, singing with acidity and joined in a chorus with flavors of tangerine and pineapple. This is certainly not … Continue reading
Posted in Chenin Blanc, France, Late Harvest White, Loire Valley, Vouvray, White Dessert
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Chapoutier Les Coufis de Paille de l’Ardeche 2001
M. Chapoutier, Vin de Table de France, Doux, Les Coufis de Paille de l’Ardeche 2001 This wine is deeply golden, picking up hues of amber and a touch of khaki. The nose is a complex mix of orange and spice, … Continue reading
Posted in France, Rhône, Viognier, White Dessert
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Lustau Amontillado Los Arcos
Lustau, Jerez DO, Solera Reserva, Dry, Amontillado, Los Arcos nv This wine is nutty and sweet smelling but beware it’s not sweet. In the mouth is a sense of toffee, peanut brittle and toasted almonds. This is the budget Amontillado … Continue reading
Posted in Jerez, Palomino, Sherry, Spain
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Finca Sobreno Toro 2004
Finca Sobreno, Toro DO, Crianza 2004 There is a rustic quality to the nose, combining earthiness and fruit on the ground. In the mouth this wine is a baby with ample tannin and a balance of acidity and extract – … Continue reading
Posted in Spain, Tempranillo, Toro
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Alto Moncayo veraton 2006
Bodegas Alto Moncayo, Campo De Borja DO, veraton 2006 This wine exudes the sweet smell of oak with a hint of cedar. The mouth is soft and fruity, having a lusciousness that is true to the house style.This wine is … Continue reading
Posted in Campo De Borja, Grenache, Spain
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