Other Grape

• November 2009

  Rhodies, Nice job of compiling. Lot of work for a none-too-great grape, but very useful to those of us who don't live on the West coast and like to visit wineries. I agree with all of your Missouri winery ratings except for Stone Hill, which I usually find to be amongst the better... Read moreRhodies, Nice job of compiling. Lot of work for a none-too-great grape, but very useful to those of us who don't live on the West coast and like to visit wineries. I agree with all of your Missouri winery ratings except for Stone Hill, which I usually find to be amongst the better Nortons. I'd give them a 4 for their regular Norton, and a 5 for their Cross J Vineyard which is a very limited bottling (460 cases) aged in mostly new French oak.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Barrel Oak Winery Norton 2008 by D9sus4

  
  

• November 2009

  Hermann, Missouri had a wine trail event yesterday, featuring six of the local vineyards, and all of them on the list Rhodies compiled. The red wines I enjoyed most were blends with some Norton present, but I just haven't cultivated a pure norton taste yet. The Missouri whites just... Read moreHermann, Missouri had a wine trail event yesterday, featuring six of the local vineyards, and all of them on the list Rhodies compiled. The red wines I enjoyed most were blends with some Norton present, but I just haven't cultivated a pure norton taste yet. The Missouri whites just seem to have a more interesting and appealing range of flavors than the reds, particularly in the sweet wines. A couple of the red wines we tried reminded me of a fresh Beaujolais, and a few having some similarities with pinot noir and blends using pinot noir. Overall, Rhodies' scores aren't much different than I would give to these six, maybe a bit generous in the high range. The Missouri River bluff views were spectacular; it was an enjoyable way to spend the afternoon.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Barrel Oak Winery Norton 2008 by AdamJefferson

  
  

• November 2009

  Comparing Norton wines. I have a database of 170 Norton producing vineyards and have visited over 50 of them so far. Has been an interesting ride. Instead of boring you with the details, this is our take on these Norton wines so far: Norton Wine Producers - 1 Poor 2 Fair 3... Read moreComparing Norton wines. I have a database of 170 Norton producing vineyards and have visited over 50 of them so far. Has been an interesting ride. Instead of boring you with the details, this is our take on these Norton wines so far: Norton Wine Producers - 1 Poor 2 Fair 3 Good 4 Excellent 5 Exceptional Alabama Ozan Vineyard and Cellars 1 Calera, AL White Oak Vineyards 3 Anniston, AL Georgia Crane Creek Vineyards 2+ (needs maturing) Young Harris, GA Frogtown Cellars 1 Dahlonega, GA Three Sisters Vineyards 3 Dahlonega, GA Tiger Mountain Vineyards 1 Tiger, GA (Clayton) Kentucky Chrisman Mill Vineyards 2 Nicholasville, KY Elk Creek Vineyards 3+ Owenton, KY Lovers Leap Vineyard & Winery 3 Lawrenceburg, KY River Valley Winery 2 (needs maturing) Carrollton, KY Smith-Berry Winery -1 New Castle, KY Wildside Vines Winery 1 Versailles, KY Wight-Meyer Winery 1 Shepherdsville, KY Missouri Adam Puchta Winery 4 Hermann, MO Augusta Winery 3 Augusta, MO Blumenhof Winery 5 Marthasville, MO Bommarito Estate Winery 3 New Haven, MO Cave Vineyard 3 Ste. Genevieve, MO Chandler Hill 5 Defiance, MO Cooper’s Oak Winery 1 Higbee, MO Crown Valley Winery 3 Ste. Genevieve, MO Heinrichshaus Winery 4 St. James, MO Hermannhof Winery 1 Hermann, MO Les Bourgeois Vineyards 2 Rocheport, MO Louis P. Balducci Vineyards 2 Augusta, MO Meramec Vineyards 1 St. James, MO Montelle Winery 4 Augusta, MO Mount Pleasant Winery 3 Augusta, MO Oak Glenn Winery 2+ Hermann, MO River Ridge Winery 2+ Commerce, MO Robller Vineyard Winery 4 New Haven, MO Sainte Genevieve Winery 1 Ste. Genevieve, MO St. James Winery 3 / 4 (Reserve) St. James, MO Stone Hill Winery 3 Hermann, MO Sugar Creek Winery 1 Defiance, MO Tower Rock Winery -1 Altenburg, MO Villa Antonio Winery 1 Hillsboro, MO Yellow Farm House 1 Defiance, MO North Carolina Grove Winery 1 Gibsonville, NC Hinnant Family Vineyards 1 Pine Level, NC New Jersey Valenzano Winery 2 Shamong, NJ Pennsylvania Stone Mt. Wine Cellars 3 Pine Grove, PA Tennessee Corey Ippolita Winery 1 Blountville, TN Virginia Abingdon Winery 3 Abingdon, VA Barrel Oak Winery 3 (need maturing) Delaplane, VA Bluemont Vineyard 2 Bluemont, VA Burnley Vineyards 1 Barboursville, VA Chrysalis Vineyards 2+ Middleburg, VA Cooper Vineyards 4 Louisa, VA Horton Vineyards 2+ Gordonsville, VA Keswick Vineyards 1 Keswick, VA Rockbridge Vineyards 3 Raphine, VA Winery at La Grange 1 Haymarket, VA As an additional note, we have visited some of these vineyards over a three year period more than once to taste if progress has been made. In a few cases the these numbers did slide up and down a notch. Bottom line, it is interesting to see how Norton vineyards are maturing. So many vineyards, so many miles to travel . . . . . . .    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Barrel Oak Winery Norton 2008 by rhodies

  
  

• November 2009

  Hello, Let me start off by saying that I'm a complete wine nooblet, but the reason that brought me to Snooth is very much related to wine. I'm currently working on a web project for a state-run wine and spirits wholesaler, and I've reached the point where I'm trying to get my client... Read moreHello, Let me start off by saying that I'm a complete wine nooblet, but the reason that brought me to Snooth is very much related to wine. I'm currently working on a web project for a state-run wine and spirits wholesaler, and I've reached the point where I'm trying to get my client to change their dreadful habit of shoving product name, producer and year on a single line to make it easier to understand. Admittedly, the name is determined by the producer (or distributor), however my client has been messy with their database and doesn't make it easy for consumers to differentiate the name of the product from the name of the producer and/or appellation and/or grape variety used and/or any other bit of info - let's just they're trying to jam every info possible in a single field. Here's a comparison of what they're using now (left), and the proposed modification to clear it up (right): !http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/1041/naming.png! The reasoning is basically this: I assume the average consumer doesn't know much about wines, and instead of *changing* the name of a product, I propose to simply clarify the information carried in the name by splitting it up in chunks. First line: Name of the product, along with the appellation (if there's one) Second line: Name of the producer/vineyard/etc. Third line: Year (on its own line mainly to allow some space) Now the actual name of the product seems to vary a lot; for instance, Old World wines typically have their own name, sometimes along with the cépage used and the appellation is put at the end (in the image above though, Aloxe-Corton is an appellation put at the beginning). However, many New World wine names use the cépage as the actual name and little else. I'd be extremely grateful if you, as wine enthusiasts and experts think this holds up, if it's useful, if this can be relatively easy to apply to pretty much all wines, or if you think this is overkill, doesn't help, etc. Your feedback is highly appreciated. Many thanks!    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Naming convention of wines -... by crsh1976

  
  

• November 2009

  Some of the better values in red wines out there are from Argentina. Since you like medium to full-bodied, give malbec a try. The malbec grape has really found it's home in Argentina, though it was one of the original bordeaux blending grapes. Other reds from here are also good... Read moreSome of the better values in red wines out there are from Argentina. Since you like medium to full-bodied, give malbec a try. The malbec grape has really found it's home in Argentina, though it was one of the original bordeaux blending grapes. Other reds from here are also good value (seek out Uco Valley reds for more robust wines). Salud!    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Newbie looking for Red Wine... by Live Slow

  
  

• November 2009

  Looks like you've enjoyed pinot noir from Oregon, and syrah/shiraz from Oz and elsewhere. I'll start with four suggestions that I've already made in other Snooth threads, one set slightly below your price range and one set slightly above, so maybe they'll average in your comfort... Read moreLooks like you've enjoyed pinot noir from Oregon, and syrah/shiraz from Oz and elsewhere. I'll start with four suggestions that I've already made in other Snooth threads, one set slightly below your price range and one set slightly above, so maybe they'll average in your comfort zone. Pinot noir from Oregon and California: --Once Wines California/Oregon Pinot Noir; made from 60% Willamette grapes and 40% Taylor Lane grapes from the Sonoma coast; a *great* value for a little north of $20; last I checked it was the house wine at French Laundry and a few other choice eating establishments. --Au Bon Climat Santa Barbara Pinot Noir, just south of $20; not the too-frequent gaggingly thick, syrupy pinots that seveal California producers turn out, but more delicately balanced; another great value considering that the even better California pinots from the Sonoma Coast and elsewhere are now several multiples of this price. Southern Rhone blends including Syrah: -- 2007 Perrin & Fils "Reserve" Côtes du Rhône $7.99; better than many Chateau Neuf du Papes three or four times its price; being from the palate-bogglingly good 2007 vintage that we'll be looking back at for decades to come only helps; 2007 Perrin & Fils Côtes du Rhône-Villages 50% syrah, 50% grenache $10.99 is also very good. --2007 Delas "St-Esprit" Côtes du Rhône 75% syrah, 25% grenache $9.99; even better than the Perrin & Fils, which are excellent; you'll also find these wines more balanced than the shiraz from Oz, IMO. There are many more syrahs and pinots out there, once you find what you like. But I think these are pretty good starting points. If you can't find them at your local shops, try K&L Wines in California (Bay Area and a newer branch in LA): http://www.klwines.com/content.asp?N=4294967276+4294967039&Ne=38&Nr=OR%28OutofStock%3AN%2CInventory+Location%3ASpecial+Order%29&Ns=QtySoldLast30|1    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Newbie looking for Red Wine... by dmcker

  
  
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  November 2009

  Castello del Poggio Moscato d'Asti

  Snoothrank: Starting at $14^.99

  I had this wine at olive garden and the taste reminds me of muscat wine by elektra!..To die for! = )

  Wine review by hershye86kisses

  
  

• November 2009

  Yes, Zufrieden, France is certainly the home of CF and still, to my taste, too, the source of the best CF. I've only had a couple of CFs in the past from the Niagara area, and they were extremely disappointing. It sounds like there are a lot more out ther now, so it'll be interesting... Read moreYes, Zufrieden, France is certainly the home of CF and still, to my taste, too, the source of the best CF. I've only had a couple of CFs in the past from the Niagara area, and they were extremely disappointing. It sounds like there are a lot more out ther now, so it'll be interesting to see what else might appear in this thread. California CFs are a different breed from the French, as you so aptly describe. I've had a lot of Chinon (many quite delicious, while the lessers are, yes, too herbaceous), and some of the delicious Cheval Blanc (of recent American fame from the styrofoam cup in a diner in Sideways, where the Giamatti character drowns himself in his favorite bottle--hilarious to me because of all his previous moaning about the horrors of merlot, where Cheval Blanc can have nearly as much merlot in it as CF). And innumerable other bottles from Bordeaux where it has been a lesser part of the blend (and that's basically how I've tended to view the grape, as good in blends, which can take care of the hollowness you describe). But I try not to think too much about them when I drink New World CF, or I'm too often dissatisfied. I try to enjoy all that fruit and think about the piece of Napa, or wherever, that it's from. One thing I like about the Soter that I mention above, is how it's blended with cabernet suavignon and malbec. All that meatiness, coffee and chocolate, cedar-and-spice box from the CF, but also the black fruits, flowers and structure that come from the malbec and CS. It's no Cheval Blanc, but a very interesting effort in its own right.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Cabernet Franc by dmcker

  
  

• November 2009

  I am curious why nobody has mentioned the proverbial home of Cabernet Franc (a.k.a. Bouchet) in (a) the Bordeaux - where it makes up as much as half of total plantings and (b) Val de Loire west of Paris where it is the quintessential red. There are many examples of Cabernet Franc... Read moreI am curious why nobody has mentioned the proverbial home of Cabernet Franc (a.k.a. Bouchet) in (a) the Bordeaux - where it makes up as much as half of total plantings and (b) Val de Loire west of Paris where it is the quintessential red. There are many examples of Cabernet Franc dominated reds from these regions - including the famous Chateau Cheval Blanc in St-Emilion. Look around for some examples where Cabernet Franc predominates in the blend or look for pure varietal examples from the Loire such as Bourgueil, Chinon and other Touraine reds. A word of warning though: in poorer vintages, these wines can be a bit acidic, unbalanced and weedy - a shock to your palate if you are expecting the heavy extraction, viscosity and strength of California examples. Ask your wine merchant about the better vintages and producers (Yannick Amirault comes to mind). Despite the numerous wines of high quality and value from this variety, I generally find all but the best just a bit disappointing. The wine is usually a bit hollow mid-palate for my taste - unless heavily extracted in warmer, New World regions such as Napa or Sonoma. As an early ripening variety, many growers in the somewhat cooler climates of Washington State, British Columbia, Ontario and (as was mentioned) New York have considered the grape something of an insurance policy. Generally, these wines are easy drinking and quite pleasant but carry over too many herbaceous and weedy notes that compare unfavorably (in my opinion) with wines made from the related Cabernet Sauvignon and hailing from warmer climates and/or vintages. Be very selective. Less susceptible to these caveats is California where Cabernet Franc wines are being redefined as dense and interesting yet early maturing - a possible advantage for those who don't like to wait. There some impressive examples from Northern California, but expect to shell out considerable lucre for your indulgence if you seek the best quality.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Cabernet Franc by zufrieden

  
  

• November 2009

  I found Snooth through an online article and, energized by a weekend visit to nearby Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, I signed up. I was going to promote the area's Taste the Season event, but it's sold out for the rest of this month. I hope to post my review of the 14 wineries I... Read moreI found Snooth through an online article and, energized by a weekend visit to nearby Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, I signed up. I was going to promote the area's Taste the Season event, but it's sold out for the rest of this month. I hope to post my review of the 14 wineries I visited this past Saturday soon. I'll gladly admit I know little about wine - but I know what I like and hope to learn more.    (hide)

  Forum post in the topic Snooth Newbie - Just back... by lsuttell

  
  

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