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 2009
Domaine Hauvette Blanc de Blancs 2006
Domaine Hauvette, Vin de Pays des Alpilles, Blanc de Blancs 2006 The nose features sweet floral notes with peaches, nectarines and a bit of poire eau-de-vie. In the mouth it is soft, lowish in acidity and very lush with a … Continue reading
Posted in Clairette, France, Marsanne, Provence, Roussanne, Vin de Pays des Alpilles
Tagged Domaine Hauvette
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The Wines of Charles Krug
This summer we had the opportunity to meet with winemaker Dave Galzignato. Our visit took us from Krug’s historical position in the Napa Valley to its modern incarnation, using a new sorting table to isolate the best of the best … Continue reading
Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Napa Valley, Sauvignon Blanc, Yountville
Tagged Charles Krug
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Georges Duboeuf Fleurie 2008
Georges Duboeuf, Fleurie 2008 There’s a lively sense of black fruit in the nose with a bit of earthy complexity that works to enhance the wine. In the mouth the thread of fresh fruit continues, the acidity is engaging and … Continue reading
Posted in Beaujolais, Burgundy, Fleurie, France, Gamay
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Sant’Antonio Soave Fontana 2008
Tenuta Sant’Antonio, Soave DOC, Fontana 2008 Minerality and lemon mark the nose. In the mouth you’ll find plenty of fresh lemon flavor, like biting into one freshly picked from the tree. You also get that zip of acidity that lingers … Continue reading
Shoofly Chardonnay 2008
Shoofly, Adelaide Hills, Chook Raffle, Chardonnay 2008 Give this wine a bit of air to blow off the initial matchstick character. Then you’ll find a medley of green apples, peaches and minerality. In the mouth it is crisp and driven … Continue reading
Posted in Adelaide Hills, Australia, Chardonnay, South Australia
Tagged Shoofly Wines
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Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Josh Cellars, Lake County, Red Hills District, Amber Knolls Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 This is an ebulliently fruity Cabernet, featuring blueberries, blackberries and Cassis in the nose. In the mouth it is light-bodied and quite soft, very accessible right now, … Continue reading
Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Lake County, Red Hills District
Tagged Joseph Carr, Josh Cellars
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hazard hill Semillon Sauvignon 2008
hazard hill, Western Australia, semillon sauvignon Blanc 2008 Breezy and fresh, this wine shows grass and citrus in the nose. In the mouth it is crisp and clean, with concentrated flavors of lime and lime zest and a little petilance … Continue reading
Frescobaldi Toscana Remole 2008
Frescobaldi, Toscana IGT, Remole 2008 This wine is fresh and fruit forward, ready to drink, a light-bodied quaffer which demonstrates that clean and juicy wine is not the exclusive realm of New World producers. Behind the bright cherry fruit is … Continue reading
Frescobaldi Nipozzano Riserva 2006
Marchesi de Frescobaldi, Chianti Rufina DOCG, Nipozzano, Riserva 2006 Unfortunately the first bottle was corked and will make a good example for my seminar on wine faults. The second bottle shows the huge difference a cork can make. In bottle … Continue reading
Posted in Chianti, Chianti Rufina, Italy, Sangiovese, Tuscany
Tagged Marchesi de Frescobaldi
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La Roque Rose 2007
Chateau La Roque, Coteaux du Languedoc, Pic Saint Loup, Rose 2007 The nose is frankly rather stinky with notes of cheese and garlic. In the mouth it is lowish in acid and the fruit is evolving, while the alcohol is … Continue reading
Posted in Coteaux du Languedoc, France, Languedoc, Pic Saint Loup, Rosé
Tagged Chateau La Roque
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Sbragia Monte Rosso Cabernet 2006
Spragia Family Vineyards, Sonoma Valley, Monte Rosso Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 In the nose there is a blend of cedar, vanilla and black fruits. In the mouth there is a spot on integration of oak and fruit in a supple … Continue reading
Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley
Tagged Sbragia
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Henri Perrusset Macon Farges 2002
Henri Perrusset, Macon Villages, ‘Macon Farges‘, selection vielles vignes 2002 The nose is quite complex with smokiness, nuttiness, butterscotch and brown spices. In the mouth a beautiful richness has developed, buttery and full of baked apple spices yet underpinned by … Continue reading
Posted in Burgundy, Chardonnay, France, Macon, Macon-Villages
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Luna Pinot Grigio 2007
Luna, Napa County, Pinot Grigio 2007 There’s a lovely blast of stone fruit in the nose, with a hint of butter and nuts. In the mouth there are peaches and oranges, with a nice balance of acidity and roundness. This … Continue reading
Trimbach Gewurztraminer 2006
Trimbach, Alsace, Gewurztraminer 2006 In the nose you’ll find lychee, spicy flowers, green herbs and roses. In the mouth this rendering of the grape is broad, lowish in acid, rounded, featuring an evolved tropical fruit character, a sense of complexity … Continue reading
Ottimino Zinfinity 2006
Ottimino, Sonoma County, Zinfinity, Zinfandel 2006 The nose features vanilla and caramel, with a bit of black fruit, cocoa and black pepper. In the mouth the fruit comes forward, a little jammy, in a light-bodied format, very supple and easy … Continue reading
Fonseca 20 Year Old Tawny
Fonseca, Porto, 20 Year Old, Tawny nv The nose features brown sugar and cinnamon infused into oranges cooked over an open flame. In the mouth it is caramel personified, with a healthy dose of brandy and an underlying sense of … Continue reading
Dow’s Vintage Porto 2007
Dow’s, Porto, Vintage 2007 This baby of a Port smells of sweet black fruits, oranges, candied berries, a notion of flowers and the spirit that fortified it. In the mouth it is dense yet already smoothing out, approachable with a … Continue reading
Mas Amiel Maury Vintage 2006
Mas Amiel, Maury, Vintage 2006 In the nose you’ll find prunes and a sense of the fortifying spirit. The mouth shows a sweet and slick sense of cooked black fruits with caramel and a hint of acidity in the background. … Continue reading
Gaston Riviere Pineau des Charentes Rouge
Gaston Rivière, Pineau des Charentes, Pineau François 1er, Red Pineau nv The smell of red grape juice really comes through, with a green, herbaceous essence and a whiff of chocolate. In the mouth it is sweet, thick and spiritous, like … Continue reading
Posted in Aperitif, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Charente, France
Tagged Gaston Riviere
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Lillet Red
Lillet, Red nv This aperitif reminds me of dunking a slice of orange into a slightly sweet red wine, with a little shot of added for punch. Serve it over a few ice cubes. P&B in Podensac in the Gironde, … Continue reading
Lutsau Puerto Fino
Lustau, Jerez DO, Solera Reserva, Puerto Fino, nv This Fino is nutty and spiritous with a light sense of the classic bruised apples. This Palomino-based wine is matured in El Puerto de Santa Maria, Bottling code: 7185 15.5% $15.99 at … Continue reading
Robert Mondavi Fumes 2007
This fall we visited Robert Mondavi with our Napa Valley class. We regained a sense of the historical significance of this winery and its founder while tasting some beautiful wines. Here is a look at their trademark Fumes from the … Continue reading
Posted in California, Napa Valley, Sauvignon Blanc
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Chalone Chenin Blanc 2006
Chalone Vineyard, Chalone, Estate Grown, Chenin Blanc 2006 I’m a huge fan of Chenin so I come at this review in a bit of a quandary. We visited the winery last week and had an opportunity to see the vines … Continue reading
Napa Valley Reds from 1999
Swanson, Napa Valley, Estate, Alexis 1999 There’s a great chocolate character in the nose yet the fruit is starting to dry out on the palate. Though past the crest of the hill it still is a pleasure and would work … Continue reading
Wines of the Stags Leap District
Cliff Lede, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District, Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 Fresh fruit and new oak leap from the glass when you smell this wine. In the mouth the tannins are polished making this Cab approachable now. The length is great. … Continue reading
Dolce 2004
Dolce, Napa Valley, Late Harvest Wine 2004 As I usually find with this wine, the emulation of Sauternes is quite apparent. In the nose there is honey, caramel, oak, tropical fruits and volatility. In the mouth the memory of my … Continue reading
Posted in California, Late Harvest White, Napa Valley, Semillon, White Dessert
Tagged Dolce
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Rutherford Grove Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Rutherford Grove, Napa Valley, Rutherford, Estate, Sauvignon Blanc 2007 Give this a little about 20 minutes of air when you open it to blow off a bit of reductive character. After that a light sense of citrus will come through. … Continue reading
Red wines of Mt. Veeder
Hess Collection, Mount Veeder Napa Valley, Estate Grown, 19 Block Cuvee 2006 Unfortunately this bottle is a bit corked. Sourced from their Veeder Summit Vineyard at 2,000 feet, this is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Syrah, Petit Verdot and … Continue reading
Posted in Cabernet Sauvignon, California, Mount Veeder, Napa Valley
Tagged Hess Collection, Mayacamas Vineyards, V. Sattui Winery
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