Last week, I was had the opportunity to participate in a really great case sale where I purchased several wines at some very good prices. One on these wines was designated as a mystery case which turned out to be the 1993 Clos Du Bois Marlstone Vineyard Bordeaux blend. Since 2000, Marlstone is the name Clos Du Bois gives to it's proprietary red Bordeaux blend. Before that, it was a single vineyard designation. This version was about 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and the rest divided between Malbec and Petit Verdot.
Drinking older vintages is always a crap shoot. Will the wine hold up, how much fruit is left? And the real kicker how will a California wine age, especially one from Alexander Valley as opposed the Napa Valley. So upon returning home from picking up my wine, I immediately popped the cork on a bottle.
I was one of the more interesting bottles that I've had in the past year. First, there is a eucalyptus/mint/cedar aroma on the nose. There is a some interesting fruit and a lot of leather, tar and tobacco. Very interesting.
On the pallet, this wine is rich and full bodied, even after 18 years. The fruit is elusive, but that is common in a lot of older wines. The cedar and mint really come to the forefront. There is a alluring touch of acid in the mid pallet and finish that keeps this wine refreshing and makes you want to drink more. The finish is long, and even though we drank this wine with some very humble meat loaf, it matched beautifully. I have some lamb and beef in the freezer and I can't wait to crack open a bottle with those proteins.
Aged wines are not for everyone. Originally rate 90+ points in the Wine Spectator, it has held up amazingly well and is a very intriguing wine. However, it will have to be drunk very quickly! I think we are up to the task.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Friday, December 9, 2011
Muscardini Cellars 2009 Monte Rosso Sangiovese
Originally planted by Louis M. Martini, the Monte Rosso Vineyard is on of California's iconic estates. Long known as an outstanding source for Cabernet Sauvignon and Zinfandel, producers from Ridge to Rosenblum among many, have made great wines from this vineyard. However, until last weekend's Sonoma Valley Vintners Holiday Fair, I had no idea that there was Sangiovese in this vineyard.
They do and you need to seek this wine out. Smoky, dark fruit with traces of block pepper, what really struck me was the firm acidity that was more typical of a great Brunello rather than a Cal Italia knock off. Never having been a great fan of the California versions of Italian varietals this one breaks the stereotype.
This is not a California knock off of Chianti Classico, but a great wine that has echos of a classic Brunello. Great stuff, and at $35 per bottle via the Muscardini web site, it is better than most Brunellos in that price range. It will go great with almost any Italian food, from assertive pasta to Italian style grilled meats. As a note, Muscardini also makes a Zinfandel from Monte Rosso as well.
They do and you need to seek this wine out. Smoky, dark fruit with traces of block pepper, what really struck me was the firm acidity that was more typical of a great Brunello rather than a Cal Italia knock off. Never having been a great fan of the California versions of Italian varietals this one breaks the stereotype.
This is not a California knock off of Chianti Classico, but a great wine that has echos of a classic Brunello. Great stuff, and at $35 per bottle via the Muscardini web site, it is better than most Brunellos in that price range. It will go great with almost any Italian food, from assertive pasta to Italian style grilled meats. As a note, Muscardini also makes a Zinfandel from Monte Rosso as well.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
California Syrah?
Quick, can you give me the taste markers for Napa Cabernet? How about Zinfandel, Pinot Noir or Chardonnay. Of course you can. Now try again for California Syrah? Gotchya! And that in a nutshell is why California Syrah continues to lag behind the so called experts expectations for the variety.
Last week at the Artisano event held outside of Santa Rosa, I had the opportunity to taste two Syrahs that may help change all that; Valdez Family Winery and Acorn Alegria Vineyard, both from Russian River Valley.
Most CA Syrahs are fruit bombs that have so much roasted meat on the nose, that in the words of Crystal McCauley, one of my instructors at CIA, it smells like you are outside a BBQ joint in Texas. These two do not have any of that. They are clean and have noses reminiscent of a Cote Rotie or Croze Heritage. Not to say there is not smoked meat on the nose, there is. But bright cherry fruit and earthy tones are also there giving them both great balance.
The Valdez is 100% Syrah and is available on their website for $50.00 per bottle. A little pricey, but one of the best Syrahs I've tasted from California. The Acorn Alegria Vineyard is a blend of 95% Syrah and 5% viognier as is $33 per bottle. Both are outstanding and worth seeking out.
Last week at the Artisano event held outside of Santa Rosa, I had the opportunity to taste two Syrahs that may help change all that; Valdez Family Winery and Acorn Alegria Vineyard, both from Russian River Valley.
Most CA Syrahs are fruit bombs that have so much roasted meat on the nose, that in the words of Crystal McCauley, one of my instructors at CIA, it smells like you are outside a BBQ joint in Texas. These two do not have any of that. They are clean and have noses reminiscent of a Cote Rotie or Croze Heritage. Not to say there is not smoked meat on the nose, there is. But bright cherry fruit and earthy tones are also there giving them both great balance.
The Valdez is 100% Syrah and is available on their website for $50.00 per bottle. A little pricey, but one of the best Syrahs I've tasted from California. The Acorn Alegria Vineyard is a blend of 95% Syrah and 5% viognier as is $33 per bottle. Both are outstanding and worth seeking out.
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Wines From the Costco Front Lines
For those who may not know, Costco is the world's largest wine retailer. They are also the largest purchaser of Bordeaux futures. In other words, when it comes to volume sales, no one beats Costco. They may not have the latest boutique winery, but when it comes to upscale brands, they probably are the best source of wine going. You find outstanding deals on Chateau St. Jean, Beringer, Provenance, and a host of old and new world brands that are distributed by some of the largest importers in the country.
Last week I had the pleasure of attending a tasting sponsored by the Wines From Italy institute. Among the stand outs were the single vineyard Barolos and Barbaras from Pio Cesare, which were the best in show. The Barolo was spectacular, lots of plum and dark fruit with that refreshing acidity that makes Italian reds so food friendly.
So what does that have to do with Costco? While perusing the wine section I stumbled upon Pio Cesare's 2006 standard Barolo bottling for $40. Parker rated this bottle 95, the Spectator 92, and it is young with the recommended consumption at 15-25 years! It was a no brainer and into the cart it went. Then next to this outstanding bottle was the 2007 Antinori Tiganello at $75. One of the world's great wines, available at $50 under its release price. It also fell into my cart. Now how to I tell my wife that I spent $115 on wines? Believe me, when they are opened and enjoyed, she will inevitably ask "Where did we get great wines?" The answer is Costco and it is why I always shop their wine section.
Last week I had the pleasure of attending a tasting sponsored by the Wines From Italy institute. Among the stand outs were the single vineyard Barolos and Barbaras from Pio Cesare, which were the best in show. The Barolo was spectacular, lots of plum and dark fruit with that refreshing acidity that makes Italian reds so food friendly.
So what does that have to do with Costco? While perusing the wine section I stumbled upon Pio Cesare's 2006 standard Barolo bottling for $40. Parker rated this bottle 95, the Spectator 92, and it is young with the recommended consumption at 15-25 years! It was a no brainer and into the cart it went. Then next to this outstanding bottle was the 2007 Antinori Tiganello at $75. One of the world's great wines, available at $50 under its release price. It also fell into my cart. Now how to I tell my wife that I spent $115 on wines? Believe me, when they are opened and enjoyed, she will inevitably ask "Where did we get great wines?" The answer is Costco and it is why I always shop their wine section.
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
90 Point Zin for $10?
As I work in the same tasting rooms all the time, I decided to expand my blog to feature all interesting wines that I encounter. My other Blog, Marty's Random Wine Thoughts will be where I muse about food and wine and other subjects that interest me. On to the wine!
Last weekend Jessica in conjunction with our bi-annual Williams Seylem pick up, we attended the Sunday part of Food and Wine on the Wine Road. This event brings wine lovers to the Russian River Valley to sample interesting wine and food pairings along with some interesting specials on wine purchases. Generally speaking, we do not pick up wine on these weekends, but file our tastes for future reference.
Not this time. At VML winery we sampled several good wines, and then a spectacular one. Bradford Mountain has been around for several years, but for the life of me, I cannot remember where I tasted it before. They were pouring the 2007 Dry Creek Zin and it was sensational. Jam and berries in the nose, some nice smoke and sandalwood with great acidity for a zin and a long, lingering finish. This was what Dry Creek zin is all about. At $120 per case, it was too hard to resist. It was the type of wine you can pour all day, and enjoy it with your non wine drinking friends.
At home, I looked up the wine on Parker and Wine Spectator and fell out of my chair as they both rated it 90 points. Great stuff, and a must buy. To find this great deal, you'll probably have to call the winery, VML on West Side Road in Healdsburg.
Salute.
Last weekend Jessica in conjunction with our bi-annual Williams Seylem pick up, we attended the Sunday part of Food and Wine on the Wine Road. This event brings wine lovers to the Russian River Valley to sample interesting wine and food pairings along with some interesting specials on wine purchases. Generally speaking, we do not pick up wine on these weekends, but file our tastes for future reference.
Not this time. At VML winery we sampled several good wines, and then a spectacular one. Bradford Mountain has been around for several years, but for the life of me, I cannot remember where I tasted it before. They were pouring the 2007 Dry Creek Zin and it was sensational. Jam and berries in the nose, some nice smoke and sandalwood with great acidity for a zin and a long, lingering finish. This was what Dry Creek zin is all about. At $120 per case, it was too hard to resist. It was the type of wine you can pour all day, and enjoy it with your non wine drinking friends.
At home, I looked up the wine on Parker and Wine Spectator and fell out of my chair as they both rated it 90 points. Great stuff, and a must buy. To find this great deal, you'll probably have to call the winery, VML on West Side Road in Healdsburg.
Salute.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Simi Dry Creek Valley Petit Sirah 2008
Simi Winery is a large production house that is know for it's Alexander Valley Cabernet. What Simi does right is present a full range of well made and will priced Sonoma County wines. They do have some real sleepers buried in their tasting room menu.
The 2008 Dry Creek Valley Petite Sirah is one of them. While I usually find wines from this grape to be very inky, dark, brooding with a lot of tannins, this one is an exception. The dark raspberry rings through the caramel and mocha nose. The pallet is a wonderful panache of earth and wood with a long smooth finish. There is just enough acid under the tongue to keep it lively. And the tannins are fully integrated with the fruit. And at $30 per bottle it provides a wonderful accompaniment to roasts, stews BBQ and pork. We had it with grilled pork chops and it was superb.
Another Simi gem to look for is their Cuvee, a blend of Muscat and Gewurztraminer. Now muscats are now very sexy, and they have been traditionally very large selling wines out of tasting rooms. This one is something more, it is a sophisticated blend that goes very well with any assertively spiced food you can name, Cajun, Moroccan, Indian, Southwestern, Szechuan Chinese, etc. The nose is pure orange blossom and honeysuckle with a base of grapefruit pith. On the pallet, these flavor have a delightful acidic structure that allows the slight sweetness of the wine to warm up the tongue. The finish emphasizes the grapefruit pith and mixes with any spice you might think of. At $20 per bottle, this wine is a real sleeper.
Both of these beauties are available at the tasting room and on their web site. They are both worth seeking out.
The 2008 Dry Creek Valley Petite Sirah is one of them. While I usually find wines from this grape to be very inky, dark, brooding with a lot of tannins, this one is an exception. The dark raspberry rings through the caramel and mocha nose. The pallet is a wonderful panache of earth and wood with a long smooth finish. There is just enough acid under the tongue to keep it lively. And the tannins are fully integrated with the fruit. And at $30 per bottle it provides a wonderful accompaniment to roasts, stews BBQ and pork. We had it with grilled pork chops and it was superb.
Another Simi gem to look for is their Cuvee, a blend of Muscat and Gewurztraminer. Now muscats are now very sexy, and they have been traditionally very large selling wines out of tasting rooms. This one is something more, it is a sophisticated blend that goes very well with any assertively spiced food you can name, Cajun, Moroccan, Indian, Southwestern, Szechuan Chinese, etc. The nose is pure orange blossom and honeysuckle with a base of grapefruit pith. On the pallet, these flavor have a delightful acidic structure that allows the slight sweetness of the wine to warm up the tongue. The finish emphasizes the grapefruit pith and mixes with any spice you might think of. At $20 per bottle, this wine is a real sleeper.
Both of these beauties are available at the tasting room and on their web site. They are both worth seeking out.
Monday, October 31, 2011
What Is Wines From The Front Lines Vol. 1-Provenance Las Amigas Merlot 2006
Over the past several month, I have been temping as a Wine Educator/Host at various wineries up and down Napa and Sonoma Wine Country. As a result, I have poured some really unique and unexpected wines in some very unexpected places. The goal of this blog is to share these discoveries with the world at large. So make sure that you ask for these wines when you visit the winery.
Beckstoffer Las Amigas vineyard located in the Napa Carneros in a region know for Pinot Noir not Merlot. Upon its 2009 release both Robert Parker and Wine Spectator gave this wine a 88. Don't believe it! With its olive scented nose, this wine reminds me more of an aged Bordeaux than a Napa Merlot. After the olive aromas, there is some very bright fruit followed with an amazing finish. This wine is on sale for $22.50 a bottle and worth at least twice as much. It is also available on Provenance's web site as well. Salute!
Beckstoffer Las Amigas vineyard located in the Napa Carneros in a region know for Pinot Noir not Merlot. Upon its 2009 release both Robert Parker and Wine Spectator gave this wine a 88. Don't believe it! With its olive scented nose, this wine reminds me more of an aged Bordeaux than a Napa Merlot. After the olive aromas, there is some very bright fruit followed with an amazing finish. This wine is on sale for $22.50 a bottle and worth at least twice as much. It is also available on Provenance's web site as well. Salute!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)