A California Syrah that Evokes the Rhône | James Molesworth | What We'
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This wine is great! I'm a member of Qupe, we get some pretty cool stuff, including some cellar dweller wines they've kept in the library. Check them out at: http://www.qupe.com/
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Ravenswood Vintners Blend Zinfandel 2007
I happened upon a cheap wine that I thought might be a nice addition to our dinner plans for the evening (which changed anyhow), the Ravenswood Vintners Blend Zinfandel 2007. The blend offers supple fruit, cinnamon tones, and a touch of smoke on the nose. This overly juicy wine is suitable for drinking with pasta dishes (as I found out tonight, see http://adnsplace.blogspot.com for my meal this evening) and may be good with meats such as pork and beef. With a velvety mouthfeel, this wine is certainly an easy drinking wine, one I would keep on hand for parties. Points: 84-86.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Cicchitti Malbec-Cab Blend
For those that enjoy a bit of depth in their Malbec, you may enjoy the Cicchitti Malbec-Cabernet blend. This wine has the unique flavors of malbec ( a touch of mint, nice berry structure and sweetness) with the increased depth from Cab. The tobacco flavor really fits nicely with the malbec flavors and leads to a nice, drinkable wine today. I paired this with a puerco cubano (cuban pork) from Cascal Restaurant (http://www.cascalrestaurant.com/index.asp) combined with an awesome set of sides, cuban black beans with rice and mashed sweet potato-plantain mixtures. Very sweet! Overall, I would suggest pairing the Cicchitti with meats the bring out the excellent flavors from the cab (black cherry and tobacco). Pork seemed to be an excellent match, as the mint and tobacco combined together with the underlying spice in the wine to form a nice bouquet in the mouth. Overall, I rate this wine 88+ points.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Meridian Chardonnay
Long ago, when I was a graduate student, I was just getting into wine. Most people start with white wines (or perhaps White Zin). I had an opportunity to visit a wine festival and tasted a large number of wines, including wines from Meridian. One wine has stuck with me over the years as a favorite, cheap wine that really tastes great.
The Meridian Chardonnay is an excellent bargain purchase. Its flavors are consistently light, crisp and sweet with tones of citrus, creamy vanilla, and light oaky tones. I'm not a huge fan of oak-driven chardonnay, so this light oak chard fits well in my repertoire. The light straw color and dampened alcohol flavors really make this wine enjoyable for an anytime drinking wine, especially refreshing on hot days. The Meridian Chardonnay is easily found at most stores for a price under $10. Visit Meridian here.
The Meridian Chardonnay is an excellent bargain purchase. Its flavors are consistently light, crisp and sweet with tones of citrus, creamy vanilla, and light oaky tones. I'm not a huge fan of oak-driven chardonnay, so this light oak chard fits well in my repertoire. The light straw color and dampened alcohol flavors really make this wine enjoyable for an anytime drinking wine, especially refreshing on hot days. The Meridian Chardonnay is easily found at most stores for a price under $10. Visit Meridian here.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
A Tasting at Scheid in Monterey
We visited the Scheid Vineyards tasting room at Cannery Row in Monterey, CA. I've found a few wines that I really enjoy from Monterey county, mainly Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but was open to trying the offerings at Scheid. Our tasting consisted of the following wines: Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, Rose, Estate Pinot Noir, Merlot, and Petite Sirah. My tasting notes follow here.
Pinot Gris
Very light in texture, like extra light virgin olive oil, with flavors of lemon zest, mineral tones, and a nice creamy flavor. Overall, an ok wine (~83 points) that would be great for a very hot day that calls for a clean white wine.
Chardonnay
A light colored chardonnay, lacking the normal "straw color" for chardonnay. I did not prefer this wine, as it seemed to lack considerable flavor depths and was flabby for structure. (60 points).
Rose (Syrah-Grenache blend)
The Rose was a nice surprise. The nose had strong flavors of broccoli and strawberry, quite a conundrum, but hardly indicative of the flavor. A darker Rose, the flavors consisted of elegant strawberry and raspberry mixtures with a nice mouthfeel. I rated this wine very highly, with points in the high 80s-low 90s (~87).
Pinot Noir (2005)
I expected the Pinot Noir to be this winery's best offering, as the Monterey County vineyards have started producing some excellent wines. Unfortunately, my expectations may have been too high. While this Pinot exhibited a nice mouthfeel and stereotypical black cherry and vanilla flavors, the blend did not come together. Individual flavors could be tasted but the combined flavors did not play off of each other. Perhaps more time in the bottle is necessary for this wine to fully develop its flavors. Points: 80-84
Merlot
I must confess, I am not a Merlot fan, and as such, I'm not able to provide a great description of merlot. The wine from Scheid displayed a nice mouthfeel, very velvety with very dark fruits (black cherry and currants) with a touch of tannin flavor. This wine, certainly drinkable, could have used a bit more time in oak to develop a greater structure. Nontheless, I'd rate this wine in the 80s. (Points: 83-85).
Petite Sirah
In stark contrast to Merlot, I love Petite Sirah. It's flavors can be complex while also offering wonderful bright cherry flavors and a nice firm texture with appropriate tannin levels, a great aging wine. The Scheid offering certainly had a nice texture and some bright cherry flavors. I thought the wine seemed a bit tired during our tasting, but this may have been the bottle. I'd expected greater tannin flavor to come through, but the wine did not meet my expectations. Points: 83-85.
Pinot Gris
Very light in texture, like extra light virgin olive oil, with flavors of lemon zest, mineral tones, and a nice creamy flavor. Overall, an ok wine (~83 points) that would be great for a very hot day that calls for a clean white wine.
Chardonnay
A light colored chardonnay, lacking the normal "straw color" for chardonnay. I did not prefer this wine, as it seemed to lack considerable flavor depths and was flabby for structure. (60 points).
Rose (Syrah-Grenache blend)
The Rose was a nice surprise. The nose had strong flavors of broccoli and strawberry, quite a conundrum, but hardly indicative of the flavor. A darker Rose, the flavors consisted of elegant strawberry and raspberry mixtures with a nice mouthfeel. I rated this wine very highly, with points in the high 80s-low 90s (~87).
Pinot Noir (2005)
I expected the Pinot Noir to be this winery's best offering, as the Monterey County vineyards have started producing some excellent wines. Unfortunately, my expectations may have been too high. While this Pinot exhibited a nice mouthfeel and stereotypical black cherry and vanilla flavors, the blend did not come together. Individual flavors could be tasted but the combined flavors did not play off of each other. Perhaps more time in the bottle is necessary for this wine to fully develop its flavors. Points: 80-84
Merlot
I must confess, I am not a Merlot fan, and as such, I'm not able to provide a great description of merlot. The wine from Scheid displayed a nice mouthfeel, very velvety with very dark fruits (black cherry and currants) with a touch of tannin flavor. This wine, certainly drinkable, could have used a bit more time in oak to develop a greater structure. Nontheless, I'd rate this wine in the 80s. (Points: 83-85).
Petite Sirah
In stark contrast to Merlot, I love Petite Sirah. It's flavors can be complex while also offering wonderful bright cherry flavors and a nice firm texture with appropriate tannin levels, a great aging wine. The Scheid offering certainly had a nice texture and some bright cherry flavors. I thought the wine seemed a bit tired during our tasting, but this may have been the bottle. I'd expected greater tannin flavor to come through, but the wine did not meet my expectations. Points: 83-85.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Wines Under $20: Wine Spectator List
The Oct. 15, 2009 issue of Wine Spectator is a great pick-up for folks who enjoy drinking wines that fall in the "bargain" territory of the wine world. I, for one, really get a little thrill out of trying to find high quality wine for a reasonable (sometimes cheap) price. This issue reads really well, with a comprehensive list of not only California wines, but international wines (yes, French wines are included). So, if you're looking for great tasting bargains that rated highly with the "pros", check this issue out:
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
2004 Ridge Oltranti-Day 2
Today's assessment of the Oltranti doesn't really change much from yesterday. The only major difference is that the "alcohol" flavor has certainly been reduced. The flavors of the wine still remain somewhat hidden but I am starting to get some true blending of black cherry, leather, and currants. No real spiciness can be detected at this point as the tannins continue to dominate this wine. I'll check again tomorrow in hopes of a brighter wine.
2004 Ridge Oltranti
I know it may seem as though I only drink Ridge wines, but I happened to move across the country without my wine, so soon I'll be tasting many others! Nonetheless, last night I opened the 2004 RidgeOltranti. The Oltranti is 88% Zin, 10% Carignane, and 2% Petite Sirah. This unique grape combination leads to a somewhat overpowering smell at opening, with some serious tannin presence. The alcohol smell and flavor were incredibly strong in the beginning but began to subside over the course of an hour. Interestingly, this wine has incredibly complex flavor structure which could not be deciphered immediately. I will report on the tasting for Day 2 soon! At that point, I hope the wine has calmed enough to detect individual flavors. As of now, the only flavors immediately discernible were strong currant and light leather undertones. I anticipate that this wine will be great this evening. Meal: grilled pork tenderloin medallions with Galena Street Seasoning (Penzey's Spices, http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeysgalena.html), grilled sweet corn, and caprese orzo.
Monday, September 7, 2009
A Tasting at Monte Bello (Ridge Vineyards)
The Fall Release tasting of Ridge Wines was an excellent opportunity to taste new wines from Ridge. Unfortunately, some of the wines are not up to the wineries standards at this point. The first wine on the tasting list was the 2006 Monte Bello Chardonnay ($60). This wine had a nice light olive oil color with nice mouthfeel. The wine lacked any significant structure, even though it had spent time in American Oak, both young (1-2 years old) and old (4-5 years old). I believe this wine is at it's peak right now and cellaring may actually extract flavor rather than enhance it. The flavors of this wine are very characteristic of chardonnay. Nice citrus undertones and a clean smell of sweettarts. Overall, this wine rates as a pretty average Chardonnay in my book, definitely not worth the $60 list price.
The next wine on the tasting list was the 2007 Lytton Springs ($35). Here, Ridge returns to it's roots and produces an excellent quality wine with definite cellaring capability. With a whopping 22% Petite Sirah, this wine has beautiful velvety structure and definite cellar strength. I thoroughly enjoyed this wine and believe the purchase price of $35 is merited if you intend to cellar. The tasting exuded the standard petite sirah flavors when blended with zinfandel. Nice dark fruity flavors with a touch of dark chocolate and vanilla top off this wine. Overall, an excellent red.
The 2007 Pagani Ranch ($35) appeared to be a fan-favorite in the tasting room. This may have been due to the wine pourer indicating her preference for the Pagani Ranch wines over time. I find that when I'm in a tasting room, the opinions of the wine pourer should not be readily given, as it directly influences the perception and flavors perceived by wine tasters. Nonetheless, the dramatic difference in sweetness from the Lytton Springs wine to the Pagani Ranch were notable. At 92% Zin, it is no surprise that this wine consisted of the stereotypical "jammy" flavors intrinsic to zinfandel. Having tasted many vintages of Pagani Ranch from Ridge, I do believe this vintage is drinkable now and may have a year or two in cellar prior to reaching it's maximum. Overall, a quaffable wine at this point in time but may enhance with time in the bottle.
The 2007 York Creek ($30) was one of my favorites. The beautiful blend of dark chocolate, pipe tobacco and vanilla made this wine an excellent, drinkable wine right now. This wine has the cellaring capability of some great cabs, but it seems irresistible right now. An elegant pour, with a bit of oxygen to break the wine, led to a fantastic tasting wine. I was quite fortunate though, as during my visit, the other York Creek bottle being poured from was half gone and "corked". Nonetheless, if you can get your hands on a bottle of the 2007 York Creek, I highly suggest it. Again, another wine blended with 22% Petite Sirah shines and display excellent strength but velvety elegance. My favorite wine of the day!
We diverged from the tasting list at this point, and tasted the 2007 East Bench ($30). The East Bench was also a fan-favorite in the tasting room. To me, this wine lacked in cellar strength and overall had poor flavor structure. I'd pass on this wine.
The 2007 Paso Robles ($30) is an interesting wine. Of all of the wines being tasted at Ridge today, this is the only real hot temperatured wine. As such, the flavor structure is significantly different (especially after tasting the East Bench). I've tasted a few vintages of Paso Robles and the flavors of very stereotypical. A taste of dry, woodiness blended with jammy, big dark fruits leads to an appealing flavor. Ovreall, an ok wine with suitable drinkability today and perhaps in the future.
Prior to tasting the Monte Bello Cab, we were permitted to try the 50/50 2005 Syrah/Grenache ($35). I'm a lover of these blends and was very excited to try Ridge's take on the wine. However, I was disappointed as this wine lacked the normal tones present in these types of wine blends. My first take through smell was that of Mac & Cheese with deli ham, not the most appealing smell. Then the taste lacked in complexity normally inherent to wine blends. I'd focus my energies on Syrah/Grenache blends from the Santa Barabara wine country, an area well-known to produce excellent Rhone Varietals.
Ah, the 2006 Monte Bello Cabernet ($145). This wine blew my mind. I had never tasted a Monte Bello at this young age and was incredibly surprised to find it incredibly drinkable today. An overall excellent blend of a wide variety of grapes will allow this wine to be drinkable today but can definitely be laid down for 10-20 years or more and still retain excellent flavors. This wine begs for a nice juicy steak (cooked medium) and some nice garlic accents. Overall, an excellent wine!
The next wine on the tasting list was the 2007 Lytton Springs ($35). Here, Ridge returns to it's roots and produces an excellent quality wine with definite cellaring capability. With a whopping 22% Petite Sirah, this wine has beautiful velvety structure and definite cellar strength. I thoroughly enjoyed this wine and believe the purchase price of $35 is merited if you intend to cellar. The tasting exuded the standard petite sirah flavors when blended with zinfandel. Nice dark fruity flavors with a touch of dark chocolate and vanilla top off this wine. Overall, an excellent red.
The 2007 Pagani Ranch ($35) appeared to be a fan-favorite in the tasting room. This may have been due to the wine pourer indicating her preference for the Pagani Ranch wines over time. I find that when I'm in a tasting room, the opinions of the wine pourer should not be readily given, as it directly influences the perception and flavors perceived by wine tasters. Nonetheless, the dramatic difference in sweetness from the Lytton Springs wine to the Pagani Ranch were notable. At 92% Zin, it is no surprise that this wine consisted of the stereotypical "jammy" flavors intrinsic to zinfandel. Having tasted many vintages of Pagani Ranch from Ridge, I do believe this vintage is drinkable now and may have a year or two in cellar prior to reaching it's maximum. Overall, a quaffable wine at this point in time but may enhance with time in the bottle.
The 2007 York Creek ($30) was one of my favorites. The beautiful blend of dark chocolate, pipe tobacco and vanilla made this wine an excellent, drinkable wine right now. This wine has the cellaring capability of some great cabs, but it seems irresistible right now. An elegant pour, with a bit of oxygen to break the wine, led to a fantastic tasting wine. I was quite fortunate though, as during my visit, the other York Creek bottle being poured from was half gone and "corked". Nonetheless, if you can get your hands on a bottle of the 2007 York Creek, I highly suggest it. Again, another wine blended with 22% Petite Sirah shines and display excellent strength but velvety elegance. My favorite wine of the day!
We diverged from the tasting list at this point, and tasted the 2007 East Bench ($30). The East Bench was also a fan-favorite in the tasting room. To me, this wine lacked in cellar strength and overall had poor flavor structure. I'd pass on this wine.
The 2007 Paso Robles ($30) is an interesting wine. Of all of the wines being tasted at Ridge today, this is the only real hot temperatured wine. As such, the flavor structure is significantly different (especially after tasting the East Bench). I've tasted a few vintages of Paso Robles and the flavors of very stereotypical. A taste of dry, woodiness blended with jammy, big dark fruits leads to an appealing flavor. Ovreall, an ok wine with suitable drinkability today and perhaps in the future.
Prior to tasting the Monte Bello Cab, we were permitted to try the 50/50 2005 Syrah/Grenache ($35). I'm a lover of these blends and was very excited to try Ridge's take on the wine. However, I was disappointed as this wine lacked the normal tones present in these types of wine blends. My first take through smell was that of Mac & Cheese with deli ham, not the most appealing smell. Then the taste lacked in complexity normally inherent to wine blends. I'd focus my energies on Syrah/Grenache blends from the Santa Barabara wine country, an area well-known to produce excellent Rhone Varietals.
Ah, the 2006 Monte Bello Cabernet ($145). This wine blew my mind. I had never tasted a Monte Bello at this young age and was incredibly surprised to find it incredibly drinkable today. An overall excellent blend of a wide variety of grapes will allow this wine to be drinkable today but can definitely be laid down for 10-20 years or more and still retain excellent flavors. This wine begs for a nice juicy steak (cooked medium) and some nice garlic accents. Overall, an excellent wine!
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