Great wine!!!!! fruity!!!!

• March 2010

  I definitely can smell the asparagus, and remember as a seven-or-eight-year-old knowing what my great grandparents (the greenest thumb I've ever met still resides with my ggfather, who spent most his years growing all sorts of things in Lake County, but 'retired' to Ojai where he... Read moreI definitely can smell the asparagus, and remember as a seven-or-eight-year-old knowing what my great grandparents (the greenest thumb I've ever met still resides with my ggfather, who spent most his years growing all sorts of things in Lake County, but 'retired' to Ojai where he still grew up a storm in his 'backyard garden' of a few acres) had for lunch when I visited later in the afternoon, merely by visiting their bathroom. He was very good at growing some of the most delicious asparagus I've ever had at many meals on multiple continents, over a very long growing season. Unfortunately, not a lot of retsina makes it overseas, though I imagine the Bay Area gets more selection than Tokyo. I could definitely show you several during some taverna crawling in Athens, lickety split. I talk about my most recent experience with a retsina in Tokyo here: http://www.snooth.com/talk/topic/owner-cooking-school/2/   From a Wine & Spirits mag. article on a visit to Astoria, Queens and a liquor store there (fyi Astoria has the most Greeks outside Greece) that stocks hundreds of different Greek wines: ==== "Retsina is still the top seller," the salesman remarks.   And why not? I love a good retsina, if it's fresh and crisp (as it should be - the problem is that in a non-Greek neighborhood, retsina often languishes far too long on a dusty bottom shelf). There's no other wine that pairs so well with the sharp and aggressive flavors found on a mezes platter: pickled grape leaves wrapped around spiced rice, thick yogurt made tangy with garlic, beet salads, eggplant purée, salty feta, crunchy caper berries, bitter greens... retsina handles them all, refreshing the palate with that cool, foresty note of pine. I add a bottle to my cache. ==== Of those I can remember having in the States (I'm trying to focus on quick meals at that small place in the Farmer's Market in L.A., right next to the Grove, or that extremely popular scene of a place just off PCH in Malibu, both of whose names I can't remember right now), Kourtaki stays in mind as a fresh and very mild entry-level retsina, and is probably the widest-distributed, though Boutaris is probably up there in sales, too. Both of these two are very mildy resinated to capture newbie interest, even if old hands don't usually order them. Retsina's home is in Attica, but I remember a sunny, fruity light-handed version from Crete called Creta Olympias. Gaia Ritinitis was more of a refined, modern style, something purists would call heretical though what wine geeks new to retsina might like, while Malamamatina was very old-skool with a deep yellow hue (some people water it down a bit when drinking, it's that hardcore). The Tyrnavos Co-op wine I mention in that other thread was actually two different bottles, and made from muscat, which is not the usual grape. One was labeled Retsinaki and the other Ampelophyllo, though I don't know if they're distributed in the US.      (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Bottle shock wasn't the... by dmcker

  
  

• March 2010

  And forget about white Zinfandel. Best to get her weaned from that as soon as possible. It's the devil's swill and very bad for both the palate and the soul... ;-) Here're some California sparkling wines that are mostly around the $20 price point, depending on who you buy them from... Read moreAnd forget about white Zinfandel. Best to get her weaned from that as soon as possible. It's the devil's swill and very bad for both the palate and the soul... ;-) Here're some California sparkling wines that are mostly around the $20 price point, depending on who you buy them from (and which version you choose): Schramsberg’s 'Mirabelle' bottlings Domaine Chandon J Domaine Carneros Mumm Napa Scharffenberger Gloria Ferrer Their bruts, whether non-vintage, vintage, reserve or rose are all quite enjoyable, as well as their blancs de blanc (made only from chardonnay). The rieslings are both sweet and acidic, fruity and brilliantly clear. I personally prefer the German versions to any I've had from any state in the US, and even with the strong Euro they are a great value compared to a lot of domestic wine these days. Look for Kabinett class (or with a little bit of a stretch even Spatlese) riesling from the Rhein, Mosel-Saar-Ruher or Nahe areas.  Perhaps with her liking for sweetish and foodfriendly wines that can also stand on their own, these are something for future sharing... ;-) Here is a reputable mailorder source for those wines, though I'm not up on the details of shipping to Georgia: http://www.klwines.com/content.asp?N=4294967012&Ne=37&Nr=OR%28OutofStock%3AN%2CInventory+Location%3ASpecial+Order%29&Ns=QtySoldLast30|1 I particularly like the look, maybe 1/3 of the way down the page, of the 2008 Schäfer-Fröhlich Bockenauer Felseneck Riesling Spätlese   at $32.99.      (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Need some white wine... by dmcker

  
  

• March 2010

  Eight Oregon Pinot Noirs Great Values and Simply Great Wines When I tasted a line-up of Pinot Noir last year that contained only one from Oregon (the winner of the tasting, by the way), I received quite the shellacking from lovers of Pac West Pinots. You can... Read more Eight Oregon Pinot Noirs Great Values and Simply Great Wines When I tasted a line-up of Pinot Noir last year that contained only one from Oregon (the winner of the tasting, by the way), I received quite the shellacking from lovers of Pac West Pinots. You can see what I’m talking about here. I love getting this kind of feedback, and love responding to it even more. I knew I had to start focusing my attention a bit more on the great wines of Oregon (and Washington, too). Fortunately, there were quite a few producers more than happy to submit samples, and taking a look at a specific region, say the Willamette Valley, seemed as though it might prove to be fruitful. In an effort to start setting things right, I present to you eight Oregon Pinots, full of the bright fruit and earthy nuances that set this region's wines apart from their southern siblings. These wines really do have a fiercely loyal following of fans who are quick to extol their virtues. Well, we put them to the test and found ... Gregory Dal Piaz is a proponent and admirer of a broad range of wines and styles. During his decades of collecting and tasting he has discovered that a wine need not cost a fortune to drink well. Feel free to ask him questions at the Snooth Forums where he regularly engages with beginners and experts alike. Well, we found that there is a lot to like coming out of Oregon. But first, here's a bit of a primer. Oregon’s entry into the wine business is fairly recent, though historically there had been vines planted in the state as far back as the middle of the 19th century. The prevalence of Pinot and similar cool climate-loving grapes such as Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and Pinot Blanc is much more recent, dating back only to the early 1970’s. David Lett can be credited with this relatively recent renaissance in Oregon.  In 1966, with his wife Diana in tow, David moved from California to the Oregon town of Dundee, where he planted the first Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris vineyards in the state. The Letts bottled their first wine in 1970, under their Eyrie Vineyards label, and thus the seeds for Oregon's modern wine industry were planted. Dundee, a small town about 25 miles southwest of Portland, must have at the time seemed to be quite an unusual spot to start making wine.  Back in the late 60s winemaking was much less of the science it is today, and much more at the mercy of Mother Nature. These rolling hills wedged between Oregon’s Cascade and Coastal mountain ranges were, and remain, prone to cool temperatures and rain storms that would scare many a lesser winemaker. I don’t know what motivated David, but in hindsight he was certainly a visionary. The explosion in popularity of Pinot, and the rush to plant it just about everywhere it is ill-suited to be has led to an ocean of over-ripe, goopy, soupy, candied Pinot. These are about as far from the Burgundian Benchmarks as one can imagine. Pinot in Oregon seems not only to be different, but consistently different, and mostly free from this affliction. Now I’m not saying California or Oregon Pinot should taste like Burgundy. I’m just saying it should taste like Pinot, and Pinot seems particularly susceptible to losing its identity due to over-ripeness. The cool, damp, and gently overcast valleys of Oregon have proved to be an ideal environment for Pinot vines, allowing them to achieve full ripeness slowly, while preserving the grapes' unique, if subtle, complexity. As it happened, David’s vineyard in the Dundee hills lies in what is now the central sub-appellation of the greater Willamette Valley viticultural area! Talk about prescient. The Willamette Valley has proven to be ideal for the cultivation of wine grapes, and the family of Burgundian grapes in particular. At 150 miles long and up to 60 miles wide, it’s no surprise that the valley is home to no less than 6 distinct sub-appellations.  No matter the name, all of these regions share the marine-tempered climate that reigns over the valley. The conditions that many associate with the Willamette Valley--rain and clouds--are only a factor late in the growing season. Of course the final weeks of the growing season are the most critical: This is when a season can be made or lost. The factors that can endow Oregon wines with such balance and elegance--the cool, long growing season--can also lead to disaster.  It’s a double-edged sword, but one that has rewarded the risk takers more often than not. Geographically, the vineyards of the Willamette are mostly on the slopes leading up to the hillsides that form the valley. Above about 300 ft the soils are relatively poor, of volcanic origin, and with excellent drainage. Lower than that the soils are heavily alluvial, remnants of the epic Missoula flood that tore through the Columbia Valley some 10,000 years ago before flooding the Willamette Valley and leaving yards of sedimentary soil below the flood line. These lean, thin soils force the vines to struggle, and the weather doesn't help all that much. The stress on the vines helps to create slow growth, better balance, a sense of delicacy, and rewarding complexity. So what does that really mean? Well, we have but a small sample of Pinots, but some big lessons can be learned from them. [PAGEBREAK] One thing that really stuck out about these wines was their relative delicacy. Now, I won't be confusing too many of these with Burgundy, but the color and texture of most was, in fact, downright Burgundian!  Most of these wines are at their best today and over the near term, say 2 or 3 years or so; my comments are mostly about what the wines are offering today. The famed earthiness of Oregon's Pinots was apparent in a few of these wines, but what was really striking about these wines, as a group, was the marriage of ripe, sweet fruit to the rather lacy structures. This is exactly what Oregon should be doing, in my opinion, and this small sample shows that many are doing it very well. My top wine was the superb Winter's Hill Pinot, which I preferred to the pricier Cuvee du Vigneron. The regular bottling had everything one could ask for in a Pinot, and is $20 winery direct.  A stunning value! The runner-up in our tasting was the Plowbuster, which showed more fruit in a round, supple style, but lacked the finesse, purity, and complexity found in the Winter's Hill. Nonetheless, it's another winner and also a good value at $20. Two wines from Arcane cellars showed well, but shared an aggressively smoky quality that may integrate with time, making them the only wines of this group that I can see improving noticeably in the cellar. These are well-made wines but all that smoke will be off-putting to many consumers, so they're definitely wines to taste before you buy.  Finishing somewhat at the bottom, but still a wonderful example of Pinot, were the base-level wines from two of the regions leaders: Adelsheim and King Estate. I'm not surprised that these wines lacked some of the distinctiveness of the higher-scoring wines. They are solid standbys and their national distribution makes them worth recommending and remembering. Finally, the King Estate Acrobat was a pretty simple, easy-drinking style of wine. There is nothing wrong with it, but not much for me to recommend either.   2006 Winter’s Hill Pinot Nor 14.1%  Buy Directly from Winter's Hill This is full of forest floor, stem, mushroom and light cherry fruit paired with faint baking spice. It’s a lovely, fresh, and complex nose.  In the mouth, this has a lovely richness, feeling absolutely round and almost lush on the palate. The flavors of fresh berry fruit are wonderful and paired with great inner-mouth perfumes of mushroom, beetroot, sage, and cherry candy.  There is a really nice structural tension in the mouth as well, to the point that you don’t even notice the acidity or the tannins until you look for them. There’s a black cherry medicinal tone on the backend, and the succulent tannins add a hint of refreshing astringency and some stemmy tones that lead to a long, layered, fruit-driven and spice-toned finish. Wonderful Pinot, richly flavored with a lovely texture.  92pts 2007 Plowbuster Willamette Pinot Noir 13% Pale and more garnet that one would expect from such a youthful wine.  The nose is certainly not fruit-driven but it is subtly complex with a touch of cinnamon Tic-Tac immediately upon pouring that is slowly joined by some quinine, marshmallow, and graham cracker. The notes sound like this is sweet and confected but, somehow, it’s not.  It’s a touch stemmy and that helps offset the sweeter tones but even the fruit, dark and reminiscent of blackberries, doesn’t come off as sweet.  On the palate this has some depth to it and is fairly seamless. It’s a very interesting wine, seemingly combining the best traits of a more fruit forward style without ever losing its sense of restraint. The flavors are a touch minty and earthy with rich wild berry notes that float across the palate.  There’s a little meatiness on the backend and the finish is gentle and moderately with a hint of vanilla to the red cherry fruit.  This is an elegant style of Pinot, not fruit driven nor the most complex, but exceptionally well-balanced and complete and an excellent value. 90pts 2006 Winter’s Hill Vineyard Cuvee du Vigneron 14.1% With a fruity, new world nose, this is not trying to be something it’s not. There’s just a ton of dark cherry and blue fruit here with vanilla, Oreo cookie, and sweet, toasty oak backing it up.  It’s rich on entry but with great acidity keeping this light and lively. There‘s a fair amount of oak-derived spice, vanilla, and cookie tones in the mouth, too, but the very bright cherry fruit is more than intense enough to never lose one’s attention. The moderate finish is really the wine’s highpoint as the acidity drives the fruit, which is surprisingly fresh, on to a nicely tannic finale.  It’s a wine that captures its sweet fruitiness without becoming vulgar. 90pts 2008 Arcane Cellars Pinot Noir 13% Nomacorc closure This smells surprisingly autumnal out of the gate, with leafy, damp soil tones that gain a sweet, slightly confected edge to them.  This is fairly smoky and with the same strong earthiness as the 2007 but with clearer fruit and a spicier edge. It's soft and round in the mouth with good volume and a sense of delicacy, even though it’s not a small wine. There is a distinct grilled meatiness to the wine that battles with the dark raspberry fruit for prominence on the mid-palate, and a top note of burnt orange/tangerine peel.  The finish is light and refreshing with lovely tannins and a hint of vanilla that is a bit off-putting due to the wine’s meaty, earthy character. It’s complex and well-proportioned, but the sweet/earthy dichotomy is a bit jarring.  I think I may enjoy this more than many others will. 88pts 2007 Adelsheim Pinot Noir 12.8% Another translucent Pinot that makes you want to taste it. This has a touch of meatiness on the nose with lots of spicy porcini tones and notes of forest floor, flowers, and toasted oak over a dark base of cherry with hints of apricot.  Absolutely silky in the mouth with nice acidity that may be a bit pronounced for some palates. The fruit is very crisp and fresh in the mouth and the tannins almost non-existent.  This really develops lovely inner-mouth perfume that is very well-balanced by the fresh fruit. There are note of forest floor and earth with a subtle medicinal edge that leads to a medium length finish that really focuses on the red fruit.  88pts  2007 Arcane Cellars Pinot Noir 13% Nomacorc Closure This smells terribly smoky and reduced on opening. With air this reveals a deep, earthy, and bitter root element on the nose that never fully loses that smoky edge but incorporates it into a more layered bouquet that hints at Necco wafers and has elements of bacon and hot iron. In the mouth this has fine, stemmy tannins that support an earthy, meaty palate profile. The raspberry fruit takes a back seat to the distinctly earthy mid-palate, which leads to a light, refreshing finish that ends with some youthful tannins. 87pts 2008 King Estate Pinot Noir 13%   This just looks good, pale but vibrant with a lovely ruby tone. It’s very aromatic as well with cherry, soil, black raspberry and hints of pressed flowers and tree bark on the nose.  This is a lightweight wine but its got very nice pure, fresh Pinot fruit. There’s a hint of spice up front, and a touch of vanilla, but the mid-palate is dominated by red berry fruit with integrated acidity and the softest tannins. It finishes with a nice mineral edge that gives it some mouthgrab and just a hint of heat. It’s got excellent length and is an all around crowd-pleasing style of Pinot, but this is no cocktail wine. 87pts 2008 Acrobat Oregon Pinot Noir 13%   This has a definite creamy edge to the nose with nice backing notes of herb and spice. There’s a nice fruitiness but it is a bit anonymous.  Really flat and a bit loose on entry, but the intensity of flavor quickly plasters over those issues. This is a fun drink, full of sweet, slightly candied red cherry fruit with modest spice notes and a nice finish that is all about the fruit. It’s ultimately a bit simple but well made nonetheless. 86pts Oregon's Pinot's offer Great Value 2007 Plowbuster Pinot Noir Priced from $19.99 This is a bit of an unusual wine. It's not really fruit-driven, but it does has a noticeable amount of oak on it, and the earthy and herbal complexity of the wine manages to help the light fruit balance out those vanilla and spice tones.  A wine that makes you think, and continues to evolve. 2006 Winter's Hill Pinot Noir Winery Direct Pricing $20.00 This is just a wonderfully perfumed, delicately balanced Pinot Noir that is perfect for current consumption, and a great value to boot. There are solid notes of forest floor, stemmy herbs, rich fruit, and a dusting of baking spices that create a truly alluring, complex yet accessible package.    (hide)

  From the article Oregon's Pinots

  
  

• March 2010

  The Latest Releases from Torbreck A Line up of Barossa's finest Founded only in 1994, Torbreck has quickly emerged as one of Australia’s most acclaimed wineries.  David Powell, a local boy by way of Adelaide, left a career in accounting in search of... Read more The Latest Releases from Torbreck A Line up of Barossa's finest Founded only in 1994, Torbreck has quickly emerged as one of Australia’s most acclaimed wineries.  David Powell, a local boy by way of Adelaide, left a career in accounting in search of a new lifestyle. His journey took him to some of the great vineyards of Europe and California, as well as to Scotland, where he cut wood in a forest called Torbreck. Judging from the name, it looks like David might be a sentimental kind of guy. No doubt that contributes to his love of the old vineyards in the Barossa Valley. Once David decided that wine was to be his future, he found work at Rockford Vineyards in the Barossa Valley and began a new journey of discovery. His work at Rockford led to the discovery of ancient, dry-farmed vineyards that time had almost forgotten. What to expect: Australian Shiraz Australia has certainly made Syrah its own, even bestowing it with a new name: Shiraz. In the warm, dry climate of Australia this noble grape, responsible for some of the grandest wines of France, produces an intense, unique expression that is distinctly Australian. The ripe grapes take on classic notes of black pepper and leather that add depth and complexity to the black cherry and plum fruits on the palate. Australian Shiraz has typically been aged in American oak barrels which impart a distinct note of vanilla to the wines; the time in the barrel also allows the wines time to integrate, revealing their rich, voluptuously-styled mouthfeel. With the help of their owners, David set about revitalizing these ancient vines. By sharing both the responsibility for the vineyard and its crop, David secured parcels of old vine fruit for himself from some of the oldest vineyards in the world at a very affordable cost: The cost of nurturing them back to life. These small lots -- the first in 1995 was only 3 tons -- became the heart and soul of Torbreck. With each successive farming agreement, or straight-out vineyard purchase, David is working to ensure not only his supply of these old vine treasures, but that the history of Barossa is not plowed under to be forgotten. David’s sentimental take on life is apparent in the naming of each wine, as well. Each has a story to tell. While the majority of Torbreck’s wines are red, David was convinced that these lands were also well-suited for the production of white wines. Based on the great Shiraz, Grenache, and Mataro that thrives in the Barossa, his thoughts turned specifically to the white wines of the Rhone valley. With that in mind, David’s original purchase of land in Marananga (now known as the Descendant Vineyard) was selected for its suitability for the white varietals Marsanne, Roussane, and Viognier. Shiraz was, of course, also included in the new plantings.  It is here, adjacent to these vines that David planted, that the brand new Torbreck Winery has been built. Open for just 2 years, this new facility extends the control that David can exercise over these old vine masterpieces. From haggard old vineyards to state of the art bottling lines, Torbreck wines are made in a way that captures the essence of the Barossa. Torbreck is a winery building a future on tradition, heritage, and, yes, sentimentality. These wines each tell a story that can almost be related to as a chapter in the history of the Barossa valley. So without further ado, let’s let the wines do the talking.   [PAGEBREAK]   2008 Torbreck Woodcutter’s Semillon – Screwcap -  14% What a great nose right off the bat, featuring rich melon, quince, and pear fruit folded up with nuanced floral tones and hints of honey and woodsmoke. From the nose you might expect this to be very bright in the mouth, and there is plenty of acid here, but the entry is rich and soft, and the wine fairly rolls across the palate. The flavors are very youthful and a bit tight with notes of wheat, apple, and meyer lemon across the mid-palate; this turns more tropical on the backend and onto the long finish, which has note of blood orange and citrus fruits before yielding to a very fine mineral finale. This is a big white wine, but in a very refreshing style; it would be dynamite with a rich white fish in a buerre blanc. 92pts   2008 Cuvee Juveniles – Screwap 14.5%   This has quite the fruity nose with jammy strawberries sprinkled with white pepper joined by some dried game notes and hints of dried grass. On entry, this is round and soft with a sweet edge to it. There is bit too much acid, but nice tannins help flesh out the mid-palate. The fruit is fresh and primary and the flavors really mirror the nose with strawberry jam, pepper, game, and a touch of wood spice. The fruit turns blacker on the backend and drops off quite a bit on the short finish, which ends on a slightly sweet, jammy note. A bit monotone and gangly but with plenty of fruit. 86pts   2006 Torbreck The Factor  14.5% The nose on this starts out quite subtle and slowly builds with deep, powerful aromas of grilled meats, licorice, cracked black pepper, saffron, dried violet,  and camphor.  Lovely in the mouth with a gentle, balanced quality that belies the wine’s depth and richness. The tannins are super fine and can easily be missed but are lurking within the ball of slightly minty, candied black berry fruit that has hints of game, barnyard, and gum  seeping out. The backend and the finish carry these accents, and the gum and barnyard aromatics add a lot of nuance and length on the very long finish. Really elegant and well balanced for such an intense wine, this is Shiraz but it gets your attention by whispering while making crazy faces, not yelling. 93pts   2006 Torbreck The Struie – 14% This offers up rather subtle aromatics with a spicy oak top note followed by gentle notes of plum and black raspberry edged with licorice, tar and olive brine. In the mouth this is very rich, yet very well balanced. There’s a lot of flavor here with black raspberry fruit bursting on the mid-palate and gaining notes of spice, toasty pie crust, subtle mint and even some herb tones lurking in the fruit which show up on the long finish as a nuanced tomato/barbeque sauce tone. The feel of the wine is moderately chewy and quite fresh, particularly on the long finish, which is richly fruited but lacks any sweetness. It’s got a nice spice tone on the finish and lovely suggestions of soil and talc on the finale.  If The Factor is whispering this talking trigonometry.  This is really interesting and fairly complex but paying attention to it is rewarding. 92pts   2005 Torbreck Run Rig 14.5% At first whiff this has an unusual blend or red fruit and peach on the nose. There’s a fair amount of wood is adding complexity to the nose but in a very narrow register. This smells as much of damp soil and crushed fruit, with a hint of dandelion to it, than of the wood. It’s not giving up too much and actually closes down over time.  On entry this has a sweetness to it and there are notes of apricot and honey right up front before the tannins begin to assert themselves. There are masses of dark fruit as well, but still rather raw and unformed. The mid-palate is quite spicy with a stemmy nuance and a round, slightly viscous feel, like cherry juice. There are mint, and vaguely medicinal notes as well that lead to a short finished impeded by tannins at this stage and the finish is a bit hot. This seems less well balanced than many of the other Torbreck wines.  90pts   2006 Torbreck The Pict Mataro – 14% Smoky and ashy on the nose with deep notes of speck, pressed flowers, wild thyme and gravel with a whiff of rubber.  Great entry, rich yet fairly lightweight with crisp tannins and lively yet integrated acidity. This is dark with spicy herb tones, a hint of vanilla, and dark fruit that has notes of black tea to it. The flavors are nicely complex with emerging notes of leather and wild berries, bilberries, always with a spicy, almost herbal top note, but the texture of this wine is great. On the back end this is remarkably light on it’s toes and gains some dried grass and gamy tones, with lots of dried chorizo on the long finish. A very impressive wine that would be great with roast goat or venison. 94pts   2006 Torbreck The Steading 60% Grenache – 20% Mataro – 20% Shiraz 14.5% This offers up nice herb, floral and light fruit tones that recall melon rinds and gentle red berry, almost raspberry jam tones. There’s a nice toasty tone to the fruit as well.  Gentle and a bit loose feeling on entry, this is well knit offering rich red fruit tones, wild cherries and currants in an open-knit style. The mid-palate has a subtle medicinal tone and a touch of nuttiness to it but this remains primarily about the red fruit. The finish is fairly short. A nice wine if a bit simple. 87pts   2006 Torbreck Les Amis Grenache 14.5% This has a pretty hot nose right off the bat.  The wine shows some meatiness and hints of fruit, chalk, flowers, and herb over a bit of woodiness but the heat is disturbing. Rich and soft on entry, with bright acids and meaty red fruits that fill the mouth, this certainly doesn’t lack for flavor but, again, the alcohol throws this off balance.  This almost redeems itself on the finish with its wonderfully aromatic fruits but just when I’m getting my hopes up it burns again. Promising but too much alcohol. 84pts Great Old Vine Shiraz, and Mataro! 2006 Torbreck The Struie Shiraz Priced from $53.99 This offers up rather subtle aromatics with a spicy oak top note over a bed of plum and black raspberry edged with licorice, tar, and olive brine. In the mouth this is very rich, yet very well-balanced. There’s a lot of flavor here with black raspberry fruit bursting on the mid-palate and gaining notes of spice, toasty pie crust, subtle mint and even some herb tones which show up on the long finish. 2006 Tobreck The Steading GSM Priced from $29.99 This offers up nice herb, floral and light fruit tones on the nose that recall melon rinds and gentle red berry, almost raspberry jam.  Gentle and a bit loose feeling on entry, this is offering rich red fruit tones, wild cherries and currants in an open-knit style. The mid-palate has a subtle medicinal tone and a touch of nuttiness to it but this remains primarily about the red fruit    (hide)

  From the article Torbreck Wines

  
  

• March 2010

  Hi Vellovino, Glad to hear your party was a success!  I did manage to write down some thoughts during our blind tasting but came to the realization that I was using the same three words over and over for lack of knowing what the heck I was tasting! (fruity, oaky,... Read moreHi Vellovino, Glad to hear your party was a success!  I did manage to write down some thoughts during our blind tasting but came to the realization that I was using the same three words over and over for lack of knowing what the heck I was tasting! (fruity, oaky, cedar) Need a lot of work on the palate but had a great time and did learn big picture things about what I like and don't like as did all my guests.  We all picked a different wine as our favorite and were able to tell the difference between the French Bordeaux and the California Cabs.  Here's the list of wines we enjoyed, price point averaged to $20: Angeline Cabernet Sonoma 2007 $11.99 Ch Les Bernedes Medoc 2007 $11.99 Ch Lilian Ladouys St Estephe 2004 $24.99 Ch Tour St Joseph Haut Medoc 2003 $19.99 Dom Alfred Syrah Edna Valley 2005 $19.99 Martin Ray Cabernet Napa Reserve 2005 $24.99 Muirwood Cabernet Res Vaquero Vyd 2007 $15.99 My favorite was the Martin Ray Cab and then the Muirwood Cab, I realize I definitely like the California Cabs as opposed to the French Bordeaux.  I threw in the Syrah as a wild card and none of us picked it as being different from the rest.  Shocking. All in all had a blast and everyone was excited to continue to learn more so we scheduled another party for May 1.  I think I might incorporate some of the ideas from another forum on palate such as smelling berries and various other things that might turn up in the wines I choose for the next go around.  Happy tasting to you!    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Wine tasting help by Lushsot

  
  

• March 2010

  Travel the roads of London, Paris in mid of Feb and very happy that can squeeze one day time to visit Bordeaux on 17 Feb. First station : Chateau Rauzan-Gassies (Grand Cru Classe, Margaux.) Tracing back the history, it was united with it's neighbor, Chateau Rauzan-Segla while it is... Read moreTravel the roads of London, Paris in mid of Feb and very happy that can squeeze one day time to visit Bordeaux on 17 Feb. First station : Chateau Rauzan-Gassies (Grand Cru Classe, Margaux.) Tracing back the history, it was united with it's neighbor, Chateau Rauzan-Segla while it is more well-known nowadays. Since 1942, it has been owned by the family QUIE. The QUIE family owns also the Chateau Bel-Orme (Cru Bourgeois, Haut -Medoc) and Chateau Croizet-Bages (Grand Cru Classes, Pauillac). Thay are using American as well as French Oak barrels with second and third year one. That reflect in thier prices. I have tasted : Bel-Orme 04 : Quite fruity, merlot charming with sweetness and finesse. Easy to drink especially for beginners. Euro 12. (We can buy wines there at their tasting room) Croizet-Bages 04 : Seems too early to drink, an expressive wine, with great strength, black fruits and spices. Better to keep it for 8 to 10 years. Euro 22. Rauzan Gassies 04 : Should be a powerful wines, more long finish than the other two. May be it is a cold day, I cannot much notice the very elegant and long lasting aroma and bouquet of Margaux wines. May be it is also too early to drink that time. Looking to buy some older vintage of it while have bought some bottles of 2001 vintage. Euro 31. Lunch at the Château Cordeillan-Bages, Michelin 2 star restaurants. It is an attractive 18th century mansion converted into a hotel and restaurant, a member of Relais & Châteaux. I do recommend to go there for lunch and the price for set lunch is around Euro 100. The food and services is much better than the Le Jules Verne restaurants in Eiffel Tower that I have been there for lunch the other day. The cuisine is of a patchwork "molecular". One dish impressed me most is the "blonde d'Aquitaine" beef fillet steak is wrapped in glassine paper with burned grape tree branch inside. Second station : Chateau Lafite, need no introduction. For me, my impression of the Chateau is not so charming and grand than others ie Chateau MargauxI, Pichon longueville... Their high price is more or less because they are only using brand new French Oak barrels, of course you need to pay for the peacockish goodwill. That also why I am eager to visit there for my first time in Bordeaux. We have tasted the Lafite 95, (why not the one in 17the century at their private cellars? Just kidding, LOL). Unique character, Elegant and long lasting. Since the wheather is quite cold, my palate affect a little bit. Third station : Chateau Lynch Bages, a well know name. It is a quite interesting tour to Lynch Bages since it has a wine making museums that you will learn how the wines produced in the old days. Of course, they are using modern machines especially a caps sealing machines that will hold the wines vertically to avoid wines stick along the cork sides. Also one thing is that they blend the wines before go into the barrels that is different with Lafite and Rauzan Gassies. Nowadays, the estate has been largely managed by the owner Jean-Charles Cazes grandson, Jean-Michel Cazes. It is also my great pleasure that Jean also come to talk with me during my visits when his colleagues inform him that my visits. According to Jean, the label of the second wines Château Haut-Bages Averous will change to Echo from 2008 onwards since Echo means SECOND sound. We have taste the Lynch Bages 2001 and Haut-Bages Averous 01. Lynch Bages : cedar, vanillin, and blackberry flavor. Since in a rush visit and the bottles just open, so it will be better to taste it after more time dacanting. Haut -Bages Averous : minerals taste and cassis. The 2000 vintage bottles that I have taste before this trip is more memorable. Please find some photos for this trip in the following facebook link and please excuse that I am not a professional photogragher. http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=11655&id=100000243541085&l=dd97dd1fab    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic One day in Bordeaux by cigarman168

  
  

• February 2010

  GregT Yes you have a point. Wines that are made by little guys get Parkerised and then become very expensive and inaccessible. Parker just has so much influence upon the market these days that I think it's unhealthy - after all he's just one guy and I do think he has a particular... Read moreGregT Yes you have a point. Wines that are made by little guys get Parkerised and then become very expensive and inaccessible. Parker just has so much influence upon the market these days that I think it's unhealthy - after all he's just one guy and I do think he has a particular style that gets points. That's not necessarily fruit bomb but in the past he has preferred (Bordeaux in particular) with an up-front fruity style. The end result of that is that producers who want to hit the big time, try and make wines to suit the Parker style. I think there is a lot of good info in his books by the way - I don't have them but they do contain relevant notes about vintages, producers etc etc. Anyway, moving on from Parker as he is not my main bone of contention. I just find it depressing that there is pressure to 'know of, have tasted' the cult wines. Wines that as you say have become 'luxury goods' like diamonds. I can count the times I have met someone who has found out that I work in the wine trade and the first thing they say is 'oh how interesting, have you tried Grange, have you tasted Screaming Eagle, have you tasted Chateau d'Yquem'. And the answer is by and large - no I haven't, I can't afford to 'try' them, I'm just an ordinary person who works with wine. It's not that I don't like or respect these wines (and I have tasted Yquem, Petrus and other such wines on a number of occasions) but I don't think they represent the interesting side of wine. If people have the money to spend then that's up to them but count me out. I'm much more excited to learn about smaller producers who are making great wine, I want to tell people about them - not about the wines that cost loads of money. I worked with an amazing producer in Israel - my job was to find him a market in the UK. He makes Bordeaux style reds (one top wine and one second) and a Burgundy style Chardonnay. Truly fabulous wines but could I find anyone to buy them? No because they were expensive relatively speaking to the real thing. Why would anyone pay 25 pounds for a bottle of his wine when they could get a classed growth Bordeaux for the same price? I bumped into him recently in Angers giving a talk on wines from Israel - he's hit the 'big time' he told me, been Parkerised and now is selling all he can make to the USA and Japan. I'm pleased for him because he deserves it (he worked hard to make great wines from nearly nothing) but I'm a bit sad too. Moving on, I'm now going to go and have a glass of Savennières from a little guy called Loic Mahe. He has just 2 hectares in Savennières - the 2006 is still very tight and mineral compared with his 2005 which is a flavour experience. Cheers    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Wines to Know by Cathy Shore

  
  

• February 2010

  Michael Mondavi - Folio Fine Wine With one of my wines of year! Yes already! This, our third and final installment in the history of the Mondavi family in Napa Valley, (read Part 1 and Part 2) is by necessity the shortest story I have to tell. It’s not... Read more Michael Mondavi - Folio Fine Wine With one of my wines of year! Yes already! This, our third and final installment in the history of the Mondavi family in Napa Valley, (read Part 1 and Part 2) is by necessity the shortest story I have to tell. It’s not that there is not a great story here; it’s simply that it’s a story spanning but a few years.   Michael Mondavi is, of course, Robert Mondavi’s eldest son, and as such was instrumental in the founding of the Robert Mondavi winery, serving as the winemaker for the first 8 vintages.  Like his father before him, Michael recently found himself at a crossroads in his life. This crossroads had an easy, if unsatisfactory, option, as well as one more challenging, yet less certain. Given the family history, it’s no surprise which path he chose. The Terroir of Howell Mountain Wines from Howell Mtn. can be lean and earthy, if judged against most from Napa Valley. The soils here are very poor, and the vines really have to fight for their lives. The stresses the vines face, and the well-drained soils yield small, intense grapes that translate into these distinctive wines, massively structured and speaking of the dirt from which they’ve come. This should not be mistaken for a lack of fruit, however. These wines are well-endowed with perfectly ripe fruit, and perfect balance -- they just lack the jammy edge many wines from Napa exhibit, having replaced it with compelling layers of mineral and savory flavors. Learn more about Howell Mtn With the sale of the Robert Mondavi winery to Constellation brands, Michael set out on his own, founding Folio Fine Wine Partners in 2004. The mandate at Folio is simple: Make the finest wines possible as a producer, while sourcing great wines from wine-making families around the globe and represent them in the USA. The portfolio of wines represented by Folio is impressive, but that's not the point here. I bring it up simply to help illustrate the ethos that is one of the fundamental elements of both Folio and the wines they produce. Each of the wineries Folio represents is family owned and operated. The guiding principle of each, the Mondavi enterprises included, is to make the best wines each family feels possible. Whether the effect of this is universal (and of that I am not sure, but based on my tasting of wines represented by Folio it is more than likely), I have to say that after tasting three wines with Michael I am impressed not only by the wines, but by the fact that they seem made for him, and not for me. These wines are made to satisfy, first and foremost, the boss and his family. If it seems strange that I am mentioning this you’ll have to consider that many, if not most, wines produced today seem to be made to win tastings and medals, as opposed to hearts and space on the dinner table. Hear Michael talk about his wines, how they’re made, and what influenced and inspired him.   [PAGEBREAK]   One of the wines we tasted, the 2006 Emblem Oso Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, really struck a chord with me. My reaction to this wine was so profound that I felt compelled to write an entire article about it (my reaction that is, not the wine). While I scored the wine 93 points, which may not seem to be much to some, it is easily my favorite California Cabernet of all those I’ve tasted over the past, oh let's call it a year. Why, you ask?  Well, simply because this tasted and felt like California Cabernet. By that I mean there was a wonderful freshness to the aromas that included cassis fruit and signs of oak aging, but also some wonderful green herb notes that made me think of Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Bordeaux. The Emblem Oso, however, is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t want my California Cabernet to smells exactly like Bordeaux, or visa versa, but far too many California Cabernets smell like fruit bombs these days, and that is simply not something that appeals to me. Too many Cabernets today are all about the fruit to the exception of other interesting and definitive aromas and flavors that distinguish Cabernet Sauvignon. Speaking of fruit bombs, the Emblem Oso vineyard is decidedly not a fruit bomb on the palate either, which sealed the deal for me. This is remarkably balanced; it's a rich but elegant example of California Cabernet that combines complexity with drinkability. I was so excited by the weight and feel of this wine I couldn’t help but smile while I was tasting this. This is exactly how I like my California Cabernet, and I can picture exactly how this will work with various dinners.  Oh, and it’s freaking delicious, did I mention that? So, it seems that while making wine that tastes good to his palate, Michael happened upon a style that tastes good to my palate! And while the wine is not inexpensive, it is affordable. The M by Michael Mondavi on the other hand, priced close to $200 a bottle, is simply not worth it, though almost no wine is. I’ll take Michael to task for this pricing nonetheless. For a winery making wines that can help spread the word about how good wines can be and how much they can add to one’s enjoyment of life, this pricing is excessive and doesn’t make me think of Folio as a wine for any night kind of company. Frankly I’m just tired of all these hyper-expensive wines, and truth be told I prefer the Oso anyway, so I should probably just let it go. After all Folio has many value-priced brands--the Oberon Cabernet for example--but, it still irks me. I still think it’s too much, and I can’t recommend people spend that sort of money on a bottle of wine. Buy 4 bottles of the Oso and have a party instead! OK, to give the wine it’s due, the M by Michael Mondavi did recently come in first place against a tasting of first growth Bordeaux.  In a blind tasting of five wines by 36 experienced tasters, the 2005 M beat out both the 2006 Ch. Lafite and the 2006 Ch. Margaux. Even better news, the 2006 Emblem from Rutherford, which I have yet to taste, and my favored 2006 Emblem Oso came in third and fourth places, respectively.  More evidence that one need not spend a ton to get great wine? You decide. I already have, and plan to speak with my wallet! I was only able to try three wines with Michael, but I look forward to tasting other wines produced by the Mondavi family, and I am excited to follow the Emblem wines in future vintages as well as over the course of time.   2008 I’M Isabelle Chardonnay Sonoma-Carneros   This is noticeably oaky and slightly buttery on the nose at first with notes of apricots and citrus fruits. There’s a nice smoky note with hints of popcorn, caramel, and toasted hazelnuts. On the palate this surprises with bright acids up front with lovely fresh orchard fruits accented with hints of pineapple and orange. The mid-palate is slightly creamy, but the oak aromatics really don’t carry on to the palate. This has lovely transparency on the palate with a refreshingly fruity finish of moderate length. A nice all around Chardonnay. 89pts   2006 Emblem Oso Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon This has a very Bordelaise nose of just ripe, brambly cassis fruit with some pencil lead oak (that is not sweet and toasty) and subtle insinuations of green herbs that make one think there might be a touch of Petite Verdot and Cabernet Franc in the blend but, in fact, this is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.  It’s a young wine to be sure, but the nose shows excellent depth, freshness and incipient complexity.  On the palate this is very bright if, at first, a touch lean with slightly dry, almost gritty tannins. The style is very reserved, yet elegant, with an austere edge to the savory core of dark fruit. The weight and balance on the palate are excellent, and the freshness of red fruit pops on the finish, which picks up tobacco and gravelly scents.  This is a wonderful bottle of Cabernet that smells and tastes like I think a Napa Cab should. It’s young and will be better in a few years but is so well-balanced that it can be consumed with pleasure today. I look forward to revisiting this wine in about a year and expect it to peak from 2013-2020. At $50 a bottle, I am a buyer of a bottle or two -- but at $40 I can’t think of a comparable value and am in for 6 bottles and a magnum.  93pts     2005 M by Michael Mondavi This opens up quickly offering very perfumed aromas of flowers, graphite, and crisp cassis fruit, with hints of roast meats, tobacco, and baking spices.  On entry this is rich, round and elegant with ripe fruit but not a lot of fat or obvious sweetness, though the mid-palate and finish do show a bit of wood-induced sweetness. The structure is assertive and gives the wine an austere edge that works with the sinewy fruit to give the wine excellent length on the finish and a lovely feel on the backend. The finish does turn a bit dry and earthy yet the dark berry fruit does emerge on the finale. An impressive wine, but one that really calls for several years in the cellar to show its best. 94pts. A Pair of elegant wines from Michael Mondavi 2008 I'M Chardonnay Priced from $14.99 There’s a nice smoky note on the nose here, with hints of popcorn, caramel, and toasted hazelnuts. On the palate this surprises with bright acids up front with lovely fresh orchard fruits accented with hints of pineapple and orange. This has lovely transparency on the palate with a refreshingly fruity finish of moderate length. 2006 Emblem Oso Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Priced from $41.99 The weight and balance on the palate are excellent, and the freshness of red fruit pops on the finish, which picks up tobacco and gravelly scents.  This is a wonderful bottle of Cabernet that smells and tastes the way I think a Napa Cab should, ripe and crisp with just a hint of earth and herbs.  A great bottle of wine.    (hide)

  From the article Michael Mondavi and Folio Fine Wine

  
  

• February 2010

  Make Valentines Day Special with Rioja White, Red, or Rosado: Rioja brings magic to the table Valentine's Day is fast approaching, and with it thoughts turn to romance and indulgence. With times the way they are, I know a lot of couples who are choosing to... Read more Make Valentines Day Special with Rioja White, Red, or Rosado: Rioja brings magic to the table Valentine's Day is fast approaching, and with it thoughts turn to romance and indulgence. With times the way they are, I know a lot of couples who are choosing to spend the evening cooking for each other, and sharing an intimate meal for two. Much more romantic than being harried along through your Valentines’ dinner so that the next seating can be ushered in, don’t you think? When you’re planning such a special dinner you don’t want to worry about the wine, so that all your attention can be focused on your someone special. The wines of Rioja, white, red and rosado, are among the most food friendly, versatile, and affordable wines on the market, perfect for turning a Sunday dinner (hint, hint) into something extra special. With so many great Rioja wines to choose from, making your choice might seem to be a challenge, but an easy way to plan out a meal is to start off with a crisp Rioja Blanco. It's simply perfect for an aperitif, to share while cooking together, and for all sorts of appetizers. Oysters anyone?  If you’re serving any sort of rich dish, follow it up with  a red Rioja Reserva. Elegant, balanced and refined it’s the perfect wine for dinner and dessert! Is it time for chocolate yet? What to expect: Rioja Rioja is best known for its grand red wines. The Reservas and, in particular, Gran Reservas are world-class wines that deliver amazing complexity in a fantastically versatile, silky, medium bodied style. These wines are among the easiest to pair with food, though there are some dishes that call for other options. Not to fear, Rioja has those covered with bright, crisp whites, and rich rosados that are sure to please every palate, not to mention wallet.   Learn more about Rioja: Visit Vibrant Rioja Make your Valentine's Day special with the unique and exotic Chocolate - Coffee Potatoes By; Chef Jill Paradiso That’s right, Rioja works wonders with chocolate. Reservas pair superbly with dark chocolate. Be daring this Valentines’ day and try this easy, yet exotic side dish from Chef Jill Paradiso, that can be served along side almost any main course (fish, fowl, game, beef...you name it). Jill recommends pairing this dish with a Crianza. From Joven to Gran Reserva Find the style of Rioja that's right for you. Rioja is produced in several styles, each signifying different ageing requirements and flavor profiles. It’s easy to find the style that suits your palate.  Joven are young, fruity wines that are best consumed in their youth for their fresh flavors. The other classifications all include required ageing in oak barrels that ranges from  at least 6 months for Crianza, to at least 24 months for Gran Reservas. Jill Paradiso is the Vibrant Rioja Northeast Regional Specialist and classically trained chef that has worked in the kitchens of Mario Batali and Jean-Georges Vongerichten – you might recognize them. She has also done recipe development for Martha Stewart, Whole Foods Markets, and Dean and Deluca and she’s been kind enough to share one of her recipes with us.   CHOCOLATE, COFFEE POTATOES Here is a fun, savory chocolate-laced dish, perfect for an intimate Valentine's Day Dinner at home! It is a snap to make, can be served along side almost any main course (fish, fowl, game, beef...you name it). Jill recommends pairing this dish with a Crianza. You will need three pieces of aluminum foil for the recipe.  Serves 4 (as a side dish) 2 lbs potatoes, cut in half lengthwise *I recommend using either small, red potatoes (also known as new potatoes) or fingerling potatoes 1/4 cup dark chocolate, chopped (you can also use chocolate chips) 2 tablespoons coffee grinds 1 tableapoon olive oil sea salt, to taste Note: These potatoes can be done on the grill or in the oven. 1. Get fire going in grill or pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. 2. Place cut potatoes on 1 piece of aluminum foil. Fold foil around potatoes to create a boat. 3. Add remaining ingredients. 4. Cover the top of the potatoes with a second piece of foil to create a sealed package. Wrap the entire package with the third piece of foil- this will ensure that no liquids leak out. 5. Place foil package directly on grill, or in middle rack of oven Cook about 20 minutes on grill/ 30 minutes in oven or until fork tender. Cooking time may vary slightly, depending upon the size of the potatoes. Once the potatoes are cooked through, I like to leave them on the grill for at least another 5 minutes or finish them under the broiler for 2 minutes so that they get nice and crispy!    (hide)

  From the article Rioja for Valentine's Day

  
  

• February 2010

  Taking a Look Back at a Vintage of the Decade Have they stood the test of time? While I remain enamored with the great wines of California’s past, I am on the fence in regards to what can be called their more modern style first embraced in the very early... Read more Taking a Look Back at a Vintage of the Decade Have they stood the test of time? While I remain enamored with the great wines of California’s past, I am on the fence in regards to what can be called their more modern style first embraced in the very early 1980s. The wines from the 1960s and 1970s were often made by winemakers operating in the field, basing their actions on the accumulated wisdom of the generations that had come before them. In one fell swoop, the University of California at Davis changed almost all of that. In the late 1970s there was a backlash against wines that were perceived as too tannic, alcoholic, and over-ripe. Boy how things have changed! In an effort to tame these brutes, and bring elegance to the wines of California the concept of “food wines” was born. A marketing major could not have come up with a better idea! Food wines, simply put, were wines that were to be lighter, more elegant and less aggressive in their youth. What the winemakers actually achieved was to strip the glory that is California from the wines and make them resemble cheap, almost innocuous table wines.  Guess what happened next. What to expect: Napa Cabernet Sauvignon California's Napa Valley has been a source of world-class Cabernet Sauvignon for well over a century. It's warm climate, and varied terrain, allows for many styles of wine. One thread that runs through almost all the Cabernet based wines from Napa is their lush, ripe full-bodied feel and rich flavors of currant and berry. Wines from the valley floor, particularly around Rutherford, are famed for a dusty quality, while those coming from the hillsides surrounding the valley, Mt. Veeder, Diamond Mountain and Howell Mountain for example, tend to be a little leaner with more obvious structural elements. Learn more about Napa Valley There was another backlash but now the winemakers in California were equipped to properly deal with whatever might come. I won’t go so far as to call the techniques used trickery, in fact they are more akin to make-up, but their effect on California’s wines has been dramatic and very wide spread. The goal of the winemakers during this backlash to the “food wine” movement was admirable. They simply wanted to find a way to put that Californianess back in the bottle while making the wines softer and more accessible in their youth. While some regions produce fruit that is ideal for this style, many simply do not. The only way to get to there, rich fruit and soft tannins, especially with Cabernet Sauvignon, which is not exactly famous for its soft tannins was to get them ripe. Now there is ripeness, and then there is RIPENESS. Unfortunately some very influential people in the world of wine seem to have a distinct fondness for RIPENESS so those wines garnered many, many points. Points, being the harbinger of a wine’s retail success, are pretty highly valued in the wine world. It’s no surprise that winemakers, and more importantly winery owners, figured out that really ripe wines got, in general, higher scores than less ripe wines. So what’s a winemaker to do? Harvest riper and get those tannins soft and supple, or even non-existent. But of course as grapes ripen they lose balancing acidity. Not a problem, they can acidify. And as grapes get really ripe they accumulate tremendous amounts of alcohol producing sugar. Not a problem. Produce a wine with 16% alcohol, or add some water to the must, or extract some alcohol with new machines. It’s not a problem. Well you know what was a problem. The wines that were produced.  I hate to generalize, and I really am a fan of very many California wines, but the truth is that many wines produced in California today, and expensive wines at that, are produced in a style that makes them sweet, fat and easy to drink on release yet obscures most of the character of the grape and virtually all of the terroir. Another issue I have with these wines is that they just don’t age well. Allow me to be more precise. These wines simply do not have the balance to age into a wine that is elegant, velvety and full of complex flavors and aromas. All too frequently these wines are attractive in their youth, full of super fruity flavors and creamy choco-mocha oak but with a few years the fruit drops out, the wood tannins and acid remain and you get one painful surprise in the mouth; nastiness. I’ve been drinking California cabernet long enough to see follow the wines through these cycles and to my mind 1991 had remained one of the benchmark vintages of the past two decades. The vintage produced wines with exceptional balance and lovely, ripe fruit that retained freshness and purity. Even after quite a few years the wines gave all indications of evolving well and seemed to promise great things in the future. Well, the future has arrived and I was looking forward to a long planned retrospective tasting of this fine vintage.  So it was that I joined 10 of my fellow wine geek friends to sample 20 wines from this outstanding vintage.  We tasted the wines single blind, in that we knew what wines we were supposed to have but not the order. I remembered a few of the wines but I did not keep the list handy. The wines were served with dinner, roasted marrow and bone-in sirloin steak, medium rare, for those interested. Would the wines vindicate the winemakers who choose to follow the recipes of UC Davis, or would they show the error of those ways and serve as a warning for the vintages that followed. That's the signpost up ahead - your next stop, the Violate Zone.   [PAGEBREAK] Two great values from 2005 for the cellar. 2005 Ridge Santa Cruz Mountains Priced from $24.99 The aromatics are still a bit raw with rich notes of wild plum and blackberry tones that follow through on the moderately rich mid-palate, with a rather restrained feeling on the palate.Already showing well this should be a wonderful wine with spicy black fruit accented by vanilla and cedar spice tones. 2005 Field Stone Alexander Valley Cabernet Priced from $12.45 This features toasted oak as well as floral top notes and subtle suggestions of sage embedded in the red cherry fruit of the nose. On the palate this is already silky with a  finish that is nicely spicy with  layered  jammy red cherries and spice leading to a nice mineral tone on the finale. The Wines: 1991 California Cabernet Sauvignon Flight One 1991 Mount Veeder Reserve – This came off as a bit hot and compressed on the nose with a lean profile that included notes of dried meat, dusty earth, and small, somewhat dried berry fruits. In the mouth this was lean and a bit linear with good acidity and tannins that were mostly resolved. There’s not a tone of varietal character, and while the wine is a bit hot it has good length and retains good fruit on the finish with a nice touch of mint. Solid yet uninspiring. ( The lack of varietal character should not be taken as a negative here since this is in fact a Meritage blend that includes all five of the Main Bordeaux grapes) 87pts 1991 Mayacamas – Fresh leather and herbal, almost artichoke tones greet the nose with earthy, slightly bretty notes lurking underneath. With air this gains lovely complexity with notes of cherry fruit, a bit of rubber, black olive, and rocky, mountain fruit minerality. This is very youthful and linear in the mouth with tannins that are a touch drying but well integrated. The fruit here remains fresh and red though it tapers off a bit early leaving a finish dominated by minerals, leather and a nice medicinal tone. Snappy, young and transparent, this is interesting and enjoyable.  91pts 1991 Dominus – Clean and pure on the nose with a nice edge of vegetal funk up front and background notes of smoke and oak all over a very cassis driven core. This is decidedly varietal on the nose but note very California. In the mouth this is pretty soft with some fairly dry tannins still making their presence known. The fruit is soft and subtle with some dark, dried fruit notes that lead to a cinnamonny finish. Overall this promised more than it delivered and was rather dry and graceless.  I have had better bottle of this, but they were all in the past. My last experience with this unfortunately mirrored this one.  84pts 1991 Rafanelli – This smells chunky and full with a lovely sweetness to the fruit that gains floral accents and hints of mint, though the wood aromas do become more assertive as it sits in the glass.  On the palate this begins as dark and earthy but quickly blossoms to reveal a core of rich, chunky, dark cherry and blackberry fruit. There is good acid here and a fair amount of tannin too but everything remains in balance and the fruit, though it is a bit monolithic, ultimately retains the upper hand. The finish is long with hints of eucalyptus and wood spice contributing complexity. This is delicious and probably as good as it’s going to get. It’s a gutsy, old style Cabernet that’s packed full of fruit but I do not get the sense that it’s going to develop into a particularly complex wine and my best guess is that the structure here will win out over the fruit sooner rather than later. But for today and the next 3-5 years  it’s a winner. 93pts   Flight Two 1991 Fisher Wedding Cuvee – Slightly corked but smelled as though it could have been a very nice wine. 1991 La Jota Howell Mountain Selection – Hard and rich smelling with great depth on the nose. This is imposingly rich and packed with fruit blackberry fruit accented with bay leaf, cocoa and baking spices. Wow this smells impressive, and on the palate it delivers the goods. Remaining very young and rich this is packed with dark cassis fruit and has a huge palate presence filled with ripe fruit tannins and superbly integrated acidity. It’s not yet fully open on the finish but the snappy, crisp acidity gives this phenomenal focus through the mouth and keeps that intense core of fruit fresh and bright. The finish reveals notes of earth, spice and some herbal stemminess and gains surprising finesse with air. A real find.  95pts 1991 Newton – Very woody on the nose with jammy notes of seared black fruit and eucalyptus top notes. Air brings out good complexity with a slight vegetal tones being joined by hints of coffee, leather and oak spice. In the mouth this is surprisingly soft and short. The mid-palate has plenty of jammy black fruit and the finish reveals rich, chocolaty oak but the overall package never shows enough integration.  A clumsy wine . 84pts 1991 Guglielmo – This smells shallow and weird with notes of melon and cherry contrasted by lots of mushroom and forest floor aromas. In the mouth this opens with rather sweet and pleasant fruit but then quickly turns dirty, hard and lean with searing acidity on the finish.  I want to like this but it is simply a bit painful to drink. 70pts   [PAGEBREAK]     Flight Three   1991 Forman - Very black fruited on the nose with notes of currant and cherry that almost conceal a touch of brett and hints of mint, tea, and bean starch. In the mouth this is lean and crisp with lots of tannin and not a lot of fruit. There's a lot of espresso to be found on the palate and a pleasnt, mineral tinged, crisp fruit skin element but the wine is very short. I like the taut structure but this lacks a bit of depth. 86pts 1991 Phelps Insignia – This smells like Bordeaux, balance and complex with intriguing notes of aromatic herbs, cigar wrapper, earth, small berries and plums. Smells a bit like Merlot. On the palate this is very nice with a richness to the ripe fruit balanced by ripe tannins and supported by well integrated acids. This doesn’t change much in the glass, and while it is a touch soft and monolithic it retains a lovely, aromatic nose and an elegance in the mouth that is appealing. 90pts 1991 Montelena – The nose on this is youthful and complex with lots of oak spice buffered by plenty of red and black fruits with a jammy edge to them. There are lovely complicating notes of wet horse, grilled peppers, leather and chalky soil adding to the bouquet.  On the palate this is surprisingly elegant and composed with a fine, layered fell and deep flavors of black currant edged with smoke and earth. The backend is still a bit hard and feels a touch extracted but the balance to allow this to continue to improve is here and I expect this can only get better.  93pts 1991 Ridge Santa Cruz Mountains – Liquory on the nose with nice freshness and notes of coffee beans, dilly American oak, fudge and toast help to frame the sweet, slightly jammy black berry fruit. In the mouth this is a bit simple and a bit short but the fruit is pleasantly spicy with a nice crisp edge to the black berry tones. The tannins are present but well integrated, just supporting the sweet rich fruit. A very nice example a California Cabernet and peak and perhaps just beginning to fade away 89pts   Flight Four 1991 Mondavi Reserve – Smells like wood and candy at first with notes of smoke and leather adding some detail. Air brings a brightness to the nose that recalls candied citrus peel as well as a lovely floral top note. The bouquet is fresh, complex and evolving In the mouth this feels a little compressed with a bit of obvious wood still in evidence but the bitter cherry fruit remains assertive through the palate and leads to a nice finish with notes of slightly under-ripe fruit that remains fresh, vibrant and detailed, this will not blow anybody away but rather seduces you with it’s subtle detail. 90pts   1991 Simi Reserve – Reticent at first then quite seductive with deep black raspberry fruit joined by creamy oak and nutty nuances and finally a floral top note. In the mouth this is soft and still creamy with confected notes of black cherry and chocolate dominating a mid-palate, which has not structural center. On the backend the oak gains the upper hand and the finish is limp and dominated by oaky flavors.  This has seen better days and appears to be only a shadow of it’s former self. 84pts 1991 Ridge Montebello – Very bright on the nose with red currant fruit and a hint of boysenberry all joined by very complex notes of vanilla, raw meat, sun dried tomato, and balsamic notes. This smells down right sweet. In the mouth this is very rich and seems to have been acidified. The mid-palate is hollow and remarkable soft considering the acids on the finish, which is also bitter. The nose was promising but this bottle is a disaster 80pts I’ve had this wine several times and it has consistently been one of the greatest California Cabernets I have had the pleasure to drink. I can only hope that this was a bad bottle. 1991 Dunn Howell Mountain – Coffee and candied currants great the nose followed by black currant jam, hot iron, minerals and rocks. This smells hard and pure with a penetrating scent that is pure mountain fruit. On the palate this is bright and crisp, taut like a drumskin, with very fine, minty edged black cherry fruit. The tannins are lovely, crisp and fine grained if particularly abundant and the acid is solid and in balance. There is a very fine kernel of nervous, sweet fruit lying at the core of this wine that peeks out on the long finish to reveal it’s sweet red berry notes and subtle medicinal edge. A great wine that remains very youthful but is amazingly precise and fresh.  95pts   Flight Five 1991 Spottswoode – Deep and spicy on the nose with hints of allspice, white pepper, vitamins, vanilla, toast and old chicken bouillon cube all blending for an intriguing, if not totally appealing bouquet.  Up front this offer a nice bit of sweet, bright red fruit but the mid-palate becomes dominated by the acidity as it turns harsh and hollow which becomes unrelenting on the moderately long finish. With air this fleshes out a bit as the fruit gains traction and begins to cover the mid-palate but the finish remains raw and aggressive. I’ve had better bottles of this and can only assume that this has seen less than ideal storage over the years. 86pts 1991 Cain Five - This offers a rather appealing Bordeaux like nose of violet florality, leather, a bit of brett and forest floor all knit together with a subtle yet sweet wild black fruit character.  On entry this is rich and soft with spicy fruit tones edged in black tea with more dried fruit tones appearing on the mid-palate. The finish lacks some flesh and turns subtly spicily vegetal with a soft yet natural feel. This is certainly ripe feeling but with good balance, and a fair amount of tannin still obvious, this does retain an appealing mouthfeel. But the brett might be an issue for some.   88pts 1991 Beringer Private Reserve – This smells like totally typical, straight forward Napa Valley Cabernet. There are leafy edges that frame the cassis fruit and an underlay of toast and spice. With air the nose gains a nice perfume with almost lemongrass vegetal tones and hints of roast coffee beans and candied raspberries. On the palate this is nice and crisp feeling with integrated tannins that give the dark fruit a slightly hard feel. The finish is short and while the fruit is rich this seems like a wine that will never actually mature and the best we can hope for is that it fades away gradually.  89pts 1991 Frogs Leap -  Aromatically this is starts off very restrained with a big note of bologna and subtle berry tones. With air this blooms, revealing medicinal cherry fruit that is slightly candied and supported to subtle cedar cigarbox tones. On the palate this is very light and easy with spicy red fruits that lead to a somewhat flat, neutral mid-palate. The finish is a bit hot and laced with assertive coffee cream tones. A wine that seems to be starting to fall apart. Drink these soon if you have them 86pts.    (hide)

  From the article 1991 California Cabernet Retrosepctive tasting

  
  

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