Pioneer Wine Company

Pioneer Portfolio tasting

O.k., I’ve had a VERY busy week, so I’m going to blog in reverse of the dates I actually tasted these wines.

When I returned from TexSom on Tuesday, I went directly the the Pioneer Wine Company Portfolio tasting. There were about 150 wineries represented, and there were easily over 1000 wines there to try.

I was pretty wiped out after TexSom, but made it a point to taste several specific wines, and several recommended “value” wines.

Here’s what I tried:

Tuck Beckstoffer

I thought that all of these wines were outstanding, but each came up a little short when it came to price. If you have the money to spare, these are all exceptional!

2007 Pinot Noir “Semper” Gold Ridge Vineyard

2007 Pinot Noir “Ellenbach Vineyard

2008 Chardonnay “Semper”

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon “Mockingbird Red”

Betts & Scholl

I thought that this brand was worth the money. Maybe not big values, but worth every penny!

2008 Grenache “OG”

2007 Grenache “Chronique”

2008 Shiraz “Black Betty”

Renteria Wines

I know Oscar Renteria from his work as a vineyard manager, and also his projects with Steve Reynolds of Reynolds Family Wines. However, I didn’t realize that his own label had such bargains. These were exceptional for the price, Especially the “Salva Tierra” Cabernet!

2009 Chardonnay

2007 Pinot Noir “RRV”

2007 Pinot Noir “Knittel Vineyard”

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon “Napa”

2007 Cabernet Sauvignon “Salva Tierra”

Surh Luchtel

This brand had some real standouts for price (marked by an asterisk *), and also a few that I thought didn’t quite deliver. However, they are all well-made.

2008 Viognier “Fortunati Vineyard”

2007 Pinot Noir *

2007 “Mosaique” Red Wine *

2006 Cab Sauv “Stagecoach Vineyard” *

Tortoise Creek

I had not tried these wines in over five years, and I’m happy to report that they’ve just gotten better over the years. For a “value” label, these guys really over deliver!

2008 Chardonnay “Jam’s Blend”

2008 Cab Sauv “Cherokee Lane

2008 Zinfandel “Chelonian”

2009 Pinot Noir “Les Oliviers”

2009 Viognier “le Verger”

2010 Tiamo Pinot Grigio

Bottled Poetry Imports

As a whole, these guys over-deliver, and I can recommend the wines without reservation.

2005 Bressia Profunda

2007 Las Perdices Reserva

2008 Las Perdices Cab Sauv

2010 Lancatay Malbec

2010 Los Nevados Malbec

2009 Los Nevados Cab Sauv

Select Fine Wine

Another importer of “value wines”, these were great for the price.

2010 Babich Sauvignon Blanc

2008 Babich Pinot Noir

2006 Desierto Cabernet Franc 25/5

2006 Desierto Cab Sauv 25/5

Eric Solomon Selections

Perhaps I’m a little biased, since I am familiar with this portfolio, and it’s always dependable for representing solid wines.

2008 Alto Almanzora “Este”

2007 Castano Monastral (Organic)

2009 Hortus “Le Loup dans la Berg”

2009 Lafage Chardonnay “Novellum”

2006 Mas Alta Artegas

2006 Ercavio Tempranillo Roble

Raventos I Blanc

Nice little wines!

2007 Cava L’Hereu Brut Reserva

2009 Perfum de Vi Blanc

In addition to the wines listed here, there were 18 others that I tried that I cannot recommend. I felt that some were flawed, and others were just not worth the price tag, whether they were $8 or $108.

If you’d like pricing on any of these, just let me know and I’ll get that info to you.

Cheers,

Chuck

Mayacamas Vineyards

I recently had the distinct pleasure of dining with Mayacamas VP Chris Travers and some friends. I can vouch for the fact that Chris is buried in his work by the fact that he has apparently never seen any movie that is off the beaten path. (I think he may have asked “where do you find the time?”) Of course, we were pulling out some fairly obscure movies (Wristcutters, Hobo the shotgun, Shakes the Clown, and the modern-day classic: the Human Centipede). Hmmm… now that I think of it, I had to explain the “pod people” reference (Invasion of the Body Snatchers) I made to his neighbor, Kathy Dennett of Wing Canyon. Maybe those “mountain dwellers” just don’t have the leisure time the rest of us do…

…but I digress…

Apparently, Mayacamas Vineyards has a program of releasing “library” wines in tandem with current releases and I, for one, couldn’t be happier.

Their current library releases are the 2003 Chardonnay and the 1998 Merlot. If you’ve ever wanted to try some perfectly aged wines, without breaking the bank, then look no further. (We also tried the current vintage, 2006 Merlot with dinner, and it was terrific too!)

I don’t yet have pricing for Houston, but the winery sells the two library releases for $45, and I can tell you that they’re well worth it!

Here are my brief notes about the wines.

2003 Chardonnay – Burgundian, with some spice and a little age, but still bright and crisp (no Malolactic fermentation) with distinct citrus notes. This just got bigger and more rounded as we enjoyed dinner. My “happiness index” kept going up and was at $50+ by the time we finished the bottle. I think it would have continued its upward trend if we !

1998 Merlot – More proof that the ’98 vintage wasn’t the dog that the wine publications were touting upon release. (I’m pleased to report that MANY of my customers trusted their own palates, and are enjoying ‘98’s from their cellars today.) This wine was fat, layered, and still evolving today. I am convinced that it will still be drinking great in another 10 years, but why wait?

2006 Merlot – Crisp acidity will allow this wine to age gracefully for years, and for now it’s silky, spicy and layered, with plum and currant flavors.

Kudos for the library program at Mayacamas Vineyards!!

I'm back?

Hmmm, posting every 1.5 years.....this is getting exhausting!
Well, my new business is up and running (www.wineknows.net) and since I'm already blogging for our members, I might as well duplicate (more or less) the blog for my "personal' blog.

I'm headed to the Texas Sommelier Conference (TexSom) tomorrow, and they've got a new seminar on blogging and other "new media". I signed up so that I might get some hints on how to best use the Wine Knows blog, and figured I might as well try to get this one up-to-speed as well.

My most recent posts have been about John Larchet's two companies, the Australian Premium Wine Collection (APWC), and World Wine Headquarters (WWHQ).
Here are the wines that I thought were standouts, regarding value. The prices listed are what we charge, per case, including delivery in Houston, for August 2011, at Wine Knows.

I recently had the pleasure to taste through a selection from the Australian Premium Wine Collection, and as usual they delivered.

Below are the wines that I thought over-delivered the most, with virtually every wine listed tasting like it was worth at least $10 more per bottle.

2009 Blackbilly GSM- Earthy and dense with a solid, fruit-driven punch. Stephen Tanzer rated this 90 points. I had this pegged to be a $30+ bottle of wine, but it’s only $16 when you buy a case! $192/12

2006 Fireblock “1926” Old Vine Grenache – Packed with juicy goodness, and flavors of red fruit and spice. 91 points from Tanzer. $40+ per bottle? I think not. It’s only $13 a bottle when you buy a case. $156/12

2006 Fireblock “1926” Old Vine Shiraz – Another fruit bomb but with a little more spice to it AND it’s the same price as the OVG. $156/12

2007 Hill of Content Grenache/Shiraz- 90% Grenache and 10% Shiraz blended together to make an easy-drinking, vibrant, red that’s perfect for a mist-fan enhanced bar-b-que! $156/12

2006 Hill of Content Shiraz – Fleshy and bright, here’s another winner from Hill of Content. $156/12

2006 The Old Faithful “Sandhill” Grenache – I loved this because of its juicy, deep flavors, while Stephen Tanzer rated it 90 points and noted that that it is “dense and sappy”. John Larchet (Owner of APWC) calls The Old Faithful his the Top-of-the-line tier. I had this priced at $40, but it’s only $30 when you buy a case. $360/12

2005 The Old Faithful “Almond Grove” Mourvedre – I’m a sucker for Mourvedre because it’s just plain different. I love the earthy-minty-spicy characteristics typical of this variety. Robert Parker rated this 90 points, noting its “full body” and “spicy blue fruits”. $276/12

2008 Tir Na Nog- 100% old vine Grenache from three separate vineyards in McLaren Vale, this is loaded with red berries and a soft, almost velvety texture.

I thought this would be a $30 wine, but it’s only $20 by the case! $240/12

2007 Elderton Estate Cabernet Sauvignon- I picked up notes of sweet tarts in this bright, lively cab. Robert Parker gave it 90 points, noting its structure and “prime drinking through 2022” $240/12

WWHQ

Another project by John Larchet is exceptional wines from areas outside of Australia. This venture is called World Wine Headquarters (WWHQ)

There were many outstanding wines in this collection, and here are the ones that I thought represented the “best” values.

Spain

2007 Cellar Malondro “Latria”- My notes said “earthy, dark and delish!!”, but Robert Parker was a little more descriptive, saying “spicy black fruit, a plush texture” and “excellent balance” (He rated it 9O points) I had this pegged for a $30 wine, so you can imagine my surprise when I found out that it’s half that price! $180/12

2007 Cellar Malondro “Malondro Montsant” – I liked the Latria better, but just barely, and noted the black pepper a nice fruit structure. Robert Parker preferred this one over the Latria, rating it 91 points, and saying that it is “rounder and more layered”. Either way, this is also an outstanding value at $20 per bottle by the case. $240/12

2006 Tilenus "Roble" Mencia -100% Mencia grape, I thougt this was earthy, spicy and fruity and a $24 wine. Robert Parker rated it 90 points, noting its “velvety texture, ripe red fruit flavors, spice notes, and a hint of minerality”. A bargain at $16 by the case. $192/12

2009 Vega Moragona Tempranillo – Big, berry aromas jump from the glass, and juicy fruit rolls over the palate. A STEAL at $10 per bottle! $120/12

2007 Vega Moragona “Old Vine” Tempranillo – Deeper and more layered than the “regular” Tempranillo, this is also a bargain at a mere $15 per bottle. $180/12

NV Monte Victor Cava- Need an inexpensive bubbly that tastes great? This could easily sell for $20, but it’s only $12 by the case. $144/12

2008 Monte Victor Garnacha - Definite notes of coffee and ripe red fruits. I had it pegged for a $20 wine, but it’s only half the price! $120/12

2007 Monte Victor “Old Vines” Garnacha – Earthier and more peppery that the “regular” Garnacha, I’d be happy paying $30 for this wine, but fortunately I don’t have to, and neither do you! $16 a bottle by the case. $192/12

Argentina

2010 Altivo “Vineyard Select” Torrentes – Soft, fruity, floral, just a beautiful little wine. This REALLY over-delivers! $120/12

2008 Altivo Malbec Barrel Select- Along with the Torrentes, probably the two best values at the tasting. I got vanilla, spice, earth and wild berries on this one. I figured it was a $30 wine. Nope! A real deal at $168/12

2006 Altivo "Secret" Malbec- I pegged this one for a $50+ bottle of wine, noting the balance, presence of both red and dark fruit and the spicy undertones. Robert Parker rated it 91 points, mentioning “tons of fruit and intense flavors”. A terrific $34 wine! $408/12

Thanks for your time, and enjoy your wine!

Cheers,

cj