2006 Hartford Court Stone Côte Vineyard Chardonnay
Date: Mon, Jan 5, 2009 Wine Tasting
The Stone Côte Vineyard is a small vineyard block within the well-known Durell Vineyard, sitting upon an ancient riverbed at the base of Sonoma Mountain in the cool Sonoma Coast AVA. The wine was aged in 100% French oak barrels (60% new oak) for ten months. This Chardonnay is and has been one of my very favorite Chardonnay's for quite some time, in fact the first time I tasted it I could not believe it wasn't from Montrachet. The bouquet is fabulous and shows aromas of crème brûlée, nectarine, toast, and poached pear. On the palate the wine exhibits rich and pure flavors of white peach, nectarine, wet crushed stone, crème brûlée, and a slight toastiness. This wine is amazingly rich but shows beautiful restraint and elegance accompanied by spades of acidity. The wine is a little cloudy and is obviously not filtered nor fined but this doesn't detract from the scintillating experience that is consuming this wine. 95+ points
2006 T-Vine Psychedelic Rooster Sticky
Date: Mon, Jan 5, 2009 Wine Tasting
This late harvest red wine from T-Vine is primarily late-harvested Petite Sirah blended with about 10% super-ripe Brown Vineyard Zinfandel. T-Vine is probably one of my favorite Napa Wineries and produces really serious Cab, Zin, Petite Sirah, ect. and if you're not familiar with their wines, I highly recommend anything they make. In fact, when I saw that this wine I just had to try it because I love their standard wines so much. The alcohol percentage stated on the bottle is 16.5% so although this wine was harvested at high sugar levels, the wine doesn't come across to sweet. It does however come across quite powerful, full of extract, and loaded with full-bodied fruit flavors. On the nose I get a good dose of inky-cassis, tar, and gushing blackberry! The flavors of this wine really blast the palate with richness and extract; creme de cassis, licorice, blackberry, and brambly Marion berry, are just a few of the intense and delicious nuances. I really love this wine for it's intensity and dense fruit flavor. Totally hedonistic - 94 points!
2004 Lake Sonoma Winery Cabernet Sauvignon
Date: Sat, Jan 3, 2009 Wine Tasting
The 2004 Lake Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon was made from grapes sourced mostly from the Alexander Valley and was aged for 28 months in French and American oak barrels. The use of American oak gives this wine distinct vanilla, herb, and mint-like aromas that are accompanied by aromas of black raspberry, currants, and black pepper. On the palate the wine is dry and contains firm and slightly chalky tannins. Flavors of dark chocolate, blackberry, and cedar dominate the flavor profile and touch down on the palate with lots of gritty tannin and just a touch of eucalyptus. This wine has some really interesting complexities and nice fruits to go along with secondary elements provided by the oak aging. However, I do feel this wine lacks a bit of polish and purity and for around twenty-five dollars I feel that perhaps they could have provided a wine with softer texture. 88 points
Vines are like people
Date: Sat, Jan 3, 2009 Wine Tasting
The grape vine is very similar to the human species; it grows and matures in stages, it produces fruit of various qualities (depending on how it's treated and the habitat that surrounds it), it grows old and wise and produces less but more concentrated fruit. The grape vine produces dense and beautiful fruit when it is put under stress. The hard working and stressed out vine is forced to dig deep and build strong roots and will produce better fruit than the vines that have everything handed to them and live in the fertile soils. These spoiled little vines have shallow roots and produce lots of grapes but lack the concentration, depth, and interest found in the fruit of the stressed and dynamically challenged vines. As the vine matures it's crop yield decreases, but miraculously the vine then uses all it's energy to produce a more focused and true expression of it's life's work. Eventually the vine will die but it leaves behind it's legacy and then new vines are planted in it's place. Those who tend the newly planted vines will use their knowledge and what they have learned with the past vineyard, to start a new journey and make equally interesting and beautiful creations.
2003 Mahoney Vineyards Mahoney Ranch Pinot Noir
Date: Tue, Dec 30, 2008 Wine Tasting
This Pinot Noir from Carneros has a bit of bottle age being from the 2003 vintage and all. The color of the wine is a deep red that holds it's color quite close to the edges. The aromas are quite interesting and don't necessarily remind me of classic Pinot Noir, I get quite a bit of oak and vanilla aromas with some cherry and plum notes. On the palate the wine shows flavors of vanilla, oak, black cherry, sweet cherry juice, and a good dose of ripe sugar plum. The texture is silky and round, which I like, and there is a good amount of acid and tannin still left in this wine. For a 2003 vintage Pinot Noir from Carneros I am surprised at the amount of life and exuberance this wine is still showing. I think the oak barrel regimen and extraction methods might have had something to do with the fat and substance that still exists in this effort. This is a well made wine and even though it doesn't strike me a classic (in varietal character) I still enjoy what it exhibits. 88 points
Segura Viudas Reserva Heredad Brut Cava
Date: Sun, Dec 28, 2008 Wine Tasting
I have tried this wine on a few occasions and have always thought it to be quality but today I was very impressed with this wine and it's complexity and long finish. The aromas of this Cava strike me as classic Cava aromas which are apple, wet stone, lime zest, mineral, and a touch of rubber band. The flavors follow suit with apple peel, steel, soft lemon, granny smith apple, and some rubber notes. The wine is very crisp and clean and finishes amazingly long on the palate with green apple notes. I think this is a magnificent QPR and it's beautifully packaged as well. 89-90 points
2005 Wing Canyon Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon - Mount Veeder
Date: Sat, Dec 27, 2008 Wine Tasting
This Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is from the Mount Veeder AVA and is a small 200 case production. The wine contains 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12.5% Cabernet Franc, and 12.5% Merlot. I always enjoy Mount Veeder Cabernet's because they often seem to be very aromatic and show lots of beautiful and pure fruit aromas. This Cab definitely falls into this same category and displays beautiful aromas of ripe raspberry fruit, chocolate, and a touch of vanilla. On the palate the wine is ripe and plush, showing flavors of black cherry, blackberry, and chocolate raspberry truffle. This is a silky and seductive beauty but needs time and air to develop into this and shed it's tannin. The first day this wine was open I was unable to give a proper review because of the massive and gripping tannin. Two days later the true beauty of this wine is displayed by ripe and lush fruit flavors. I think this is one that will cellar quite beautifully and has the fruit and structure to shine in a decade. 92 points
2006 Vin du Lac Ice Wine
Date: Tue, Dec 23, 2008 Wine Tasting
This dessert wine from Washington State is an Ice Wine made from 50% Riesling and 50% Gewurztraminer. I was not sure what to expect from a Washington State Ice Wine but was very shocked by the quality and purity of fruit. On the nose I got loads of apricot nectar, powder sugared dates, and frosted carrot cake! On the palate the wine boasts extremely ripe and luscious fruit flavors of apricot, candied mango, peach syrup, honey, and orange marmalade. The flavors were super intense and the finish was very long. This wine has great acidity and a good amount of alcohol to make it appear quite balanced even though the high sugar levels are quite obvious. I have to say I'm quite impressed with this effort and score the wine 91+ points.
2004 Phoenix Vineyards Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
Date: Mon, Dec 22, 2008 Wine Tasting
This is a 100% estate Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from a family owned winery that produces about 2500 cases of wine a year. The whole 240 cases of this estate Cabernet was aged for 16 months in French oak and was bottled in 2006. On the nose I get big dark fruits of cassis, black currant, and blackberry. There is also a bit of tar, dirt, and peppercorn on the nose that add complexity to the fruit character. On the palate this wine shows flavors of blackberry, cassis, and cedar box. There is a serious amount of tannin that grips down on the tongue with significant force and causes this wine to finish extremely dry and slightly off balance. The fruit is there but the tannins are still so firm that it's hard to enjoy this wine without longer decanting or more bottle age. It's tough to tell if this wine would gracefully shed all that wood and show it's true fruit over time and thus I can only score this wine 89 points. A serious effort but I strongly recommend heavy decanting and a big chunk of steak!
Small Vineyards Spanish Wine Tasting
Date: Sun, Dec 21, 2008 Wine Tasting
I had the chance to taste some really neat wines from Small Vineyard's this last week. Small Vineyard's in a boutique Italian wine importer that has some amazing wines in their portfolio. They are just launching a Spanish program and I tasted around seven of these wines plus a few of their existing Italian wines. The wines in the picture are the ones I tasted from their new Iberian portfolio.
Wines from left to right:
1. 2007 Vina Ljalba Livor Rioja
2. 2006 San Isidro Cepas del Zorro Dos Ano
3. 2006 Monte da Capela Adega de Pias
4. 2006 Lopez Cristobal Tinto Roble
5. 2005 Luis Suares Doarte Perfil Tinto
6. 2006 Clua Domenech Tinto
7. 2007 Alta Vins Tempus Tinto Joven
I really enjoyed this tasting because it was a chance to see the newly released wines from several different regions across Spain. I can tell you that what I noticed was how the wines were almost all completely made in a "New World" style. I was shocked at the fruit forwardness and very vibrant flavors of these wines. Spain is taking the forefront of the wine industry for a reason and this tasting demanded my attention because of the great QPR of each one of these wines.
Beware of the Wine Wise Guys
Date: Fri, Dec 19, 2008 Wine Tasting
Those of us in the wine industry know them all too well..... We see them lurking in the dark and mysterious corners of the trade....We acknowledge their presence in the business but keep our distance....We watch as they pretend to love wine more than money....Wine to them could just as well be widgets.....Beware my wine industry friends..Beware of the Wine Wise Guys!!!
The Grateful Palate
Date: Thu, Dec 18, 2008 Wine Tasting
If you haven't heard of Dan Philips, Chris Ringland, or R Winery then you must be a half asleep wine connoisseur or just don't like Australian super "Fruit Bombs" as much as the rest. The company was founded in 1997 by American Dan Philips who at the time, wagered just about everything he owned to buy a partial container of Australian Shiraz from a half dozen producers. Years later the company Philips started from scratch has developed into arguably the world finest Australian wine portfolios. Producers such as Chris Ringland, Trevor Jones, Rick Burge, Marquis Philips, Noon, Kay Brothers, Greenock Creek, and many more which can be found on their official website: Grateful Palate Imports
Years ago , wine great Robert Parker--whose reviews can make or break vineyards--heard word of Philips' taste and invited him to set up a private sipping. "At the end of a day's work," Parker wrote, "I felt like a colossal stooge, for rarely have I tasted so many exceptional wines." Philips' palate, Parker said, was "brilliant."
The company mission statement pretty much sums up the company and the vision of Dan Philips' in bringing the world a more "greatful palate".
Company Mission Statement
"To create and discover distinct, full flavored delicious wines from Australia and around the world that are always a great value, unbeatably consistent, and food worthy. Invent a portfolio of wines unlike any the world has seen—one that is solid, dependable and aggressively growing. To build a company that delivers pleasure, profits & bacon for all. Oh, and one more thing: WE LIVE TO SERVE!"
The Grateful Palate
Date: Thu, Dec 18, 2008 Wine Tasting
If you haven't heard of Dan Philips, Chris Ringland, or R Winery then you must be a half asleep wine connoisseur or just don't like Australian super "Fruit Bombs" as much as the rest. The company was founded in 1997 by American Dan Philips who at the time, wagered just about everything he owned to buy a partial container of Australian Shiraz from a half dozen producers. Years later the company Philips started from scratch has developed into arguably the world finest Australian wine portfolios. Producers such as Chris Ringland, Trevor Jones, Rick Burge, Marquis Philips, Noon, Kay Brothers, Greenock Creek, and many more which can be found on their official website: Grateful Palate Imports
Years ago , wine great Robert Parker--whose reviews can make or break vineyards--heard word of Philips' taste and invited him to set up a private sipping. "At the end of a day's work," Parker wrote, "I felt like a colossal stooge, for rarely have I tasted so many exceptional wines." Philips' palate, Parker said, was "brilliant."
The company mission statement pretty much sums up the company and the vision of Dan Philips' in bringing the world a more "greatful palate".
Company Mission Statement
"To create and discover distinct, full flavored delicious wines from Australia and around the world that are always a great value, unbeatably consistent, and food worthy. Invent a portfolio of wines unlike any the world has seen—one that is solid, dependable and aggressively growing. To build a company that delivers pleasure, profits & bacon for all. Oh, and one more thing: WE LIVE TO SERVE!"
