Red apple

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  November 2009

  Hess Chardonnay Select Monterey 2008

  Snoothrank:

  Sharp grassy nose with linoleum and vanilla. In the mouth the wine is round ... round with buttery notes and red apple fruits. The finish is fruitier and sweeter with pineapple, gooseberry and mango flavors

  Wine review by Philip

  
  

• November 2009

  Black Box: The 3 Liter Solution Or how to win $10,000 with out even trying (that hard) Box wine holds an increasingly important appeal in today’s marketplace. Not only can you feel good about drastically reducing your carbon footprint as a winelover, but... Read more Black Box: The 3 Liter Solution Or how to win $10,000 with out even trying (that hard) Box wine holds an increasingly important appeal in today’s marketplace. Not only can you feel good about drastically reducing your carbon footprint as a winelover, but you can also treat yourself to a fresh glass of wine for up to four weeks from one of Black Box’s outstanding selections. The folks at Black Box are so convinced that you, and your friends, are going to enjoy their wines, that they’ve staked a tidy sum on it. Until 11/30/09, Black Box is accepting entries into their You Got Boxed video contest. Simply serve the award winning Black Box wines to your friends, tape their reaction, and upload your short video to the Black Box site.  Then get your friends to vote for your video and win one of the $2,000 monthly prizes or even the $10,000 grand prize. Click here to get all the details on the  "You Got Boxed" video contest, and don’t worry we’re not in the running. So do your part to save the planet, while giving yourself a great chance to win $10,000, and enjoy a glass of always fresh Black Box wine. Why Buy the Box? While Bag in Box technology has been around for years it's taken awhile before producers had the confidence, and following, in the marketplace, to use this format for premium wines. That time has come as more producers are realising how economical and environemntally friendly the box is. It's less costly to produce, store, and ship and is makes life easy for the consumer. Not only can you comfortably carry home three liters of wine but the Bag in Box is easy to store and will keep your wine as fresh as the day you opened it for up to four weeks. Find More Black Box Wines Although we're ineligible to win the $10,000 prize, we put together a short video of us "boxing" some friends - all in good fun of course. Enjoy! And how are those wines you ask. Well let me tell you about my favorites. 2008 Monterey County Chardonnay Priced from $19.99/ 3 Liters A lightly smoky, caramel and vanilla tinged, oak note on the nose with hints of banana and very ripe pineapple.  This is soft in the mouth with a round feel, no rough edges, with very typical sweet apple, banana cream, and pineapple flavors. You’d be hard pressed to find a better Chardonnay at this price point. 2007 California Merlot Priced from $20.99/ 3 Liters This has earthy, oaky tones framing leafy, tobacco tinged, black fruits on the nose that develop hints of licorice and cocoa in the glass.  Round and soft with a suggestion of orange peel on entry, which is followed by a  a sweet, dried cherry and coca dusted mid-palate that leads to a gently tannic, bright red cherry toned finish.    (hide)

  From the article Black Box ; You Got Boxed

  
  
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  November 2009

  Black Box Chardonnay 2008

  Snoothrank:

  Sweet tropical fruits of kiwi, pineapple and vanilla on the nose. Very buttery with flavors of red apple, cinnamon. Medium acidity keeps the wine from feeling flabby and the finish has a nice sharpness to it. Very creamy mouth feel throughout.

  Wine review by Philip

  
  

• November 2009

  Yoshi - Tempranillo is a grape. Rioja the region. Many producers in Europe identify wine by region instead of by the grape varieties that are in the wine. For example, some regions that start with B are: Bordeaux, Burgundy, Barolo, Bierzo, Beaujolais, Brunello, Barbaresco.... Read moreYoshi - Tempranillo is a grape. Rioja the region. Many producers in Europe identify wine by region instead of by the grape varieties that are in the wine. For example, some regions that start with B are: Bordeaux, Burgundy, Barolo, Bierzo, Beaujolais, Brunello, Barbaresco. Most of those regions also require that to be called by the specific name, the wine be made of certain specific grapes. Why? Because over the centuries, the people who controlled the politics of the area, usually a local nobleman, fixed it so that all the wine had to be made from whatever they grew and everything else was outlawed. Sometimes today you hear people try to justify the restrictions by claiming that the approved grapes were found to be best-suited to the area, but that's of course not true. It's sort of like telling apple producers in an area that they can only grow Golden Delicious apples, not Granny Smith. Maybe Granny Smith didn't even exist when they made the law, so how would they know the apple won't be good in the area? So you can simply say "Rioja", and people will assume that the blend will be mostly Tempranillo, because there is very little white wine produced there. Or you can say "Brunello" and they will assume that it's the local clone of Sangiovese. On the other hand, you would never think that your Rioja has any Sangiovese or that your Brunello has any Tempranillo because those wouldn't be allowed. In the case of Burgundy, you need to specify whether it's red or white. Outside of Europe we don't do that. We generally name the wine by the grapes that are used or by some fantasy name that the producer came up with. For example, he can call his wine "Opus One" or "Grange" and then you just have to find out for yourself what grapes are used. It really shouldn't matter all that much - what really matters is whether the wine is good. Good luck tasting your way thru thousands of wines.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic "Hi My Name Is" / Favorite Red by GregT

  
  

• October 2009

  Sangria is whatever you want it to be. Cut up some oranges, add some sugar, maybe even some orange juice, then a little brandy and a bottle of wine. If you want it more flavorful, throw in some fresh strawberries, some lemon slices, some lime slices, some chopped apple, even... Read moreSangria is whatever you want it to be. Cut up some oranges, add some sugar, maybe even some orange juice, then a little brandy and a bottle of wine. If you want it more flavorful, throw in some fresh strawberries, some lemon slices, some lime slices, some chopped apple, even pineapple. If you want, you can add some club soda, ginger ale or lemon-lime soda just before serving, although that's not really necessary. It's basically just fruit punch made with wine instead of fruit juice. As far as cooking, I always wonder how people cook if they don't have wine around. What do you use to deglaze your pan for example? Screw the recipes, if you had some pork chops and onions and mushrooms, how would you deglaze that? Or if you had capers and garlic, what would you use? You should always have wine in the kitchen, just like you should always have salt, pepper, butter, lemon, etc. I concur wholeheartedly with the above posts - do NOT buy cooking wine or cooking sherry. Just use whatever's left over. Greg has the idea of ice cubes - you can do exactly the same thing with stock or some kind of demi-glace that you've made. Some people say to use the same wine you're drinking, which I do sometimes if I only need a touch, but it seems kind of dumb to use an expensive wine to make a reduction. Use something cheap that you COULD drink, but not necessarily what you are drinking. I always have opened bottles around so it's not a problem but if I didn't, I'd just open whatever was cheapest. Also, don't sweat the specific wine too much either. In other words, you don't have to use a Burgundy to make coq au vin. Just keep a couple things in mind. First, a real oaky wine isn't usually a great cooking wine. It can work but again, usually in small doses. If you're using a substantial amount of wine, it's better to use something without real strong oak overtones. Second, mostly what you're doing is adding acid. So there's no real need to use a red wine if you don't have any around. Tomato sauce, etc., is just fine if you use a crisp white wine. To some degree the reverse works too, but coloring comes into the picture and your scallops with garlic and butter will look a gray-purple if you use some cheap barbera.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Cooking with wine by GregT

  
  
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  October 2009

  Sutherland Chardonnay 2007

  Snoothrank:

  Red apples on the nose, with a nice caramel scent. There are also notes of cashew and oak upfront. The wine has good bite upfront, before moving to a mellow, wide mid palate of butter, caramel, candied apple and cinammon. Finishes on a lot of oak, but is well done.

  Wine review by Philip

  
  
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  October 2009

  Louis Latour Macon-Lugny 2007

  Snoothrank:

  Rich and emollient. A nice mineral finish. Very good and complex with great ... minerality. Finishes on red apples and lemon notes. My #2 of the tasting (of 6 chardonnay's)

  Wine review by Philip

  
  
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  October 2009

  Ravenswood Belloni Zinfandel 2007

  Snoothrank:

  Confermented with mixed blacks, predominantly Carignane, Petite Sirah and ... and juicy in the mouth with red apple acids giving real snap to the dark, earthy fruits. This finishes with big structure, those red apple acids as well as slightly drying, aggressive tannins. The... Read moreConfermented with mixed blacks, predominantly Carignane, Petite Sirah and ... and juicy in the mouth with red apple acids giving real snap to the dark, earthy fruits. This finishes with big structure, those red apple acids as well as slightly drying, aggressive tannins. The boysenberry fruit on the palate is floating a bit beneath the structure with hints of dried leaves and smoky tones adding some complexity, Very youthful feeling with room to improve. 90pt    (hide)

  Wine review by Gregory Dal Piaz

  
  

• October 2009

  2007 Sauvignon Blanc – Buy online in $12 only. Sauvignon Blanc is one of the classic wines of Bordeaux and the Loire Valley in France. California Sauvignon Blanc was first popularized by Napa Valley’s Robert Mondavi Winery in the late 1960s. A crisp refreshing wine with hints of... Read more2007 Sauvignon Blanc - Buy online in $12 only. Sauvignon Blanc is one of the classic wines of Bordeaux and the Loire Valley in France. California Sauvignon Blanc was first popularized by Napa Valley’s Robert Mondavi Winery in the late 1960s. A crisp refreshing wine with hints of green apple and pear. Recommended pairings include seafood, shellfish, and light pastas. http://www2.ibgcheckout.com/ancientpeaks/catalog/view_product.jsp?product_id=1001&cat_id=1 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2006 Merlot - Purchase online in $16 only. High-toned aromas of black cherry and blueberry with hints of cola. A smooth, silky texture brings flavors of black currant, blueberry, mocha, and vanilla cream. The finish is cool and velvety, with hints of blackberry and clove spice. "Youthful and juicy up front with cherry and licorice notes…finishing with red currant, spice, and roasted sage tannins..88pts" Wine Spectator. http://www2.ibgcheckout.com/ancientpeaks/catalog/view_product.jsp?product_id=1002&cat_id=1 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon in $16 only. "This is the best value Cab in this price category that I've tasted in a long while.." Kathy Marcks Hardesty . Our 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon and other wines reflect our commitment to crafting fine wines from our estate Margarita Vineyard in the Paso Robles wine country. We endeavor to craft the best California wine possible from each vintage, showcasing the flavors of Margarita Vineyard and the larger excellence of Paso Robles wine. http://www2.ibgcheckout.com/ancientpeaks/catalog/view_product.jsp?product_id=1005&cat_id=1 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2006 Syrah in $16 only. "Sleek and trim, this is medium-weight, with spice, mineral and ripe berry flavors that are long and lingering..87 pts" Wine Spectator . Warm plum and spice aromas with smoky-earthy nuances. The palate bursts forth with bright rounded flavors of black cherry, plum, cola, and mocha. The finish lingers with long fruit and supple tannins. http://www2.ibgcheckout.com/ancientpeaks/catalog/view_product.jsp?product_id=1003&cat_id=1 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2007 Zinfandel in $16 only The 2007 Zinfandel opens with bright aromas of cherry, plum, and vanilla spice. Juicy flavors of raspberry, brambleberry, and black cherry unfold along a broad, seamless texture. Accents of black pepper add to a lively finish. http://www2.ibgcheckout.com/ancientpeaks/catalog/view_product.jsp?product_id=1010&cat_id=1 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2006 Malbec in $35 only Margarita Vineyard offers excellent growing conditions for our 36 acres of Malbec. At under 100 cases, this wine is available only in our tasting room and online store. http://www2.ibgcheckout.com/ancientpeaks/catalog/view_product.jsp?product_id=1006&cat_id=1 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2006 Petit Verdot in $35 only The 2006 Petit Verdot showcases Margarita Vineyard's ability to nuture the varietals signature color, racy flavors, and fresh natural acidity. At under 100 cases produced, this wine is only available in our tasting room and online store. http://www2.ibgcheckout.com/ancientpeaks/catalog/view_product.jsp?product_id=1007&cat_id=1 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2006 Petite Sirah in $35 only The 2006 Petite Sirah is loaded with exotic aromas of blueberry, cigar box, anise, white pepper and pomegranate. Luscious flavors of blackberry, black cherry, vanilla bean and cinnamon spice unfold along a big, chewy texture. Dusty tannins add structure to a long, juicy finish. http://www2.ibgcheckout.com/ancientpeaks/catalog/view_product.jsp?product_id=1008&cat_id=1 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2006 Oyster Ridge in $35 only This limited edition cuvee was crafted to honor the dramatic soils and distintive qualaties of the Margarita vineyard. 326 cases produced. http://www2.ibgcheckout.com/ancientpeaks/catalog/view_product.jsp?product_id=1009&cat_id=1    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Best Quality Red Wine, White... by ancientpeak

  
  
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  October 2009

  Cup Cake Chardonnay Central Coast Vineyards 2007

  Snoothrank:

  A solid example of a California Chardonnay - the nose of full of oak, vanilla ... of green apples up front, red apples later. Cinammon and baked pie crust on the finish

  Wine review by Philip

  
  

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