CJ's WINE PAGE

January 11, 2012

2012-01-11T16:08:00.000-08:00

Well, it's a new year, and that means new wines to taste!
I've split with my partner at Wine Knows, and am now focusing my attention on Nos Caves Vin.
To that end, today I tried 4 EXCELLENT wines and 1 very good one, all of them carried by the Prestige division of Glazers distributing.
Here they are:
NV CLETO CHIARLI Brut Rose - This is a terrific little rose spumante. It's fresh, yeasty, and full-bodied, with great mousse, and just a hint of sweetness. I'd be happy paying up to $30 for this wine, but since the average retail price is $13, you can be certain that I've found my new house sparkler.

2009 BODEGAS SHAYA Verdejo Rueda - Mellow and balanced, with notes of stone and minerals. A very nice, balanced little wine. I'd be happy paying up to $19 for this wine, but the average retail price is only $12
2007 AU BON CLIMAT ' La Bauge Au Dessus' Pinot Noir - WOW! My initial taste suggested a straightforward Pinot, with good structure and ripe fruit. For some reason, I wrote down $50 as the price I'd be happy paying. I felt that $50 was probably too much, so I kept "chewing on the wine" trying to determine how much lower I should go. After all, it's not a big, mind-blowing Pinot, just a nice, clean wine. However, I actually ended up increasing the price I'd be happy paying for it to $60+, due to the pure enjoyment I got from drinking it. It's pure Pinot pleasure! My notes mentioned earth, anise, cardamom, great balance, depth, and the word "fantastic!" The average retail price on this wine is $30, so that makes this a steal! ...it's also available in half-bottles!
2010 TRIDENTE Mencia - This was something of a surprise, as well. Round and ripe, with notes of cherry, anise and spices. A nice, mellow wine that I'd be happy to pay $27 for. But since the average retail price on this is $14, that makes this a bargain!

2009 BRADY VINEYARD Cabernet Sauvignon - From Don Brady, the winemaker at Robert Hall in Paso Robles, Ca. comes this intriguing wine. Mostly Cab Sauv, with some Cab Franc and Petite Sirah, this has a finish that won't quit! The entry and mid-palate seem a little flat, but the finish makes up for it. I pegged the price at $28, and that is just about the average retail price.

As always, if you're interested in any of these wines, I can always find you "a deal", so don't hesitate to contact me about these, or other house favorites you might need.

Cheers,
Chuck

Ridge Vineyards

2011-11-10T18:20:00.000-08:00

I sat down today with Dan Buckler, the regional sales manager for Ridge Vineyards, to taste through some of their current lineup.

As usual, the wines were well-made, balanced, expressed a sense of place, and fun to drink. What else would you expect from a winery that’s been around for fifty years?! (Speaking of sense of place, check out their vineyard map at www.ri dgewine.com/vineyards).

You can find great press about these guys everywhere, so I won’t bother singing their praises here, but I WILL tell you what I tried, and what I thought of each.

2009 Ponzo Vineyard Zinfandel (98% Zinfandel, 2% Petit Sirah) – A silky texture with tight red berry notes, Slightly acidic at first, but opened up over time, and tasted much more full after time in the glass. Average retail price is $28

2009 Paso Robles Zinfandel (95% Zinfandel, 5% Petit Sirah) – From the Dusi vineyard, the oldest in Paso Robles, this one is juicy, with cherry notes and a bit of spice. Average retail price is $30

2008 Geyserville (74% Zin, 17% Carignane, 6% Petite Sirah, 2% Alicante Bouschet, 1% Mataro). The Geyserville is a “field blend” that Ridge has been making since 1966. It varies each year, but it is primarily Zinfandel. The additional grapes really round this wine out. It’s fat, juicy, kind of briary and well worth the average retail price of $35.

2009 York Creek Zinfandel (93% Zin and 7% Petit Sirah) – This is a spicy, full-bodied Zin. This is also the last vintage that this wine will be in distribution, and starting next year it will be available through their mailing list and at the winery only. Also well worth the average retail price of $30, so I suggest you get some now, or sign up for their mailing list!

2007 Santa Cruz Cab/Merlot ( 58% Cab and 42% Merlot) – This was a little thin, but like the Ponzo Zin, it developed in the glass and filled out. Some clove and dark fruit flavors helped to carry it along. Average retail price is $36

2007 Montebello (79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc) – It’s always a treat to taste the wine that Robert Parker has called “one of the candidates for the longest-lived Bordeaux blend made in California”. Full-bodied, but mellow and balanced, it is sure to age beautifully, and I would give it at least 3 years to develop in the bottle before drinking. Average retail price is $145.

As always, these are just my opinions, so I suggest you try these for yourself!

Cheers,

Chuck

MT DIFFICULTY AND MORE...

2011-11-09T18:31:00.000-08:00

R.B. Phillips Import Co.

I’ve been treated to some really nice lunches while tasting wine, and I think it’s high time I start giving kudos to the restaurants that I think are exceptional. I tried wine with Randall Phillips (of R.B. Phillips Import Co.) at Julia’s Bistro today (www.juliasbistro.com), and I was really impressed. I had tortilla soup and a corn-encrusted red snapper, and both were excellent. If you’re in the neighborhood stop in and give them a try. (But don’t park behind them unless there is a parking meter you can put money into, because you might get a parking ticket for an expired meter any way! Don't ask me how I know that...)

Now, back to the wine... we tasted several from New Zealand, but also from Tasmania and Spain. ALL were good buys, and a few were stellar for the price!

I look forward to trying more wines from Randall in the future, but here’s what I recommend right now.

2010 Mt Difficulty ‘Roaring Meg’ Pinot Gris (Central Otago, NZ) – Very complex, with hints of grassiness and peach. Well worth the average retail price of $16

2009 Mt. Difficulty ‘Roaring Meg’ Riesling (Central Otago, NZ) – I was blown away by this one. Racy, fruity, slightly sweet with nod to the Alsace style. It would be rewarding even at twice the price. Average retail is $15

2010 Mt Difficulty ‘Roaring Meg’ Pinot Noir (Central Otago, NZ) – Notes of ribbon candy and earth offer this fruity Pinot and added dimension. Good structure and balance make it worth the average price of $23

2010 Selaks Sauvignon Blanc (Marlborough, NZ) – It’s nice to come across a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc that doesn’t beat you over the head with flavor. This has everything you’d expect (grassiness, grapefruit and minerals), but in a refined style. The average retail price of $17 is right where it should be.

2010 Selaks Ice Wine (NZ) The winemaker helped nature out with this ice wine, by picking ultra ripe grapes, and then freezing them before pressing. Let’s call it “man-made” Ice Wine! It comes in a 375ml bottle, is NOT cloying, and has just the right amount of acidity. The flavor is reminiscent of Crème Brulee. Perfect for dessert at the average retail price of $20

2010 Woolundry Road Cab Sauv (McLaren Vale, South Australia) – This is a light, fun little Cab full of spice and red berries. A crowd pleaser with an average retail price of $11

2008 South Pinot Noir (Tasmania) - I found this VERY interesting. It’s light in style and flavor, but it has a velvety texture to it that makes it really cool. An easy drinking Pinot, with soft red fruit, that’s worth the average price tag of $20

2008 Gladium Tempranillo Crianza (La Mancha, Spain) – What a bargain! Dark and juicy with notes of tea and leather, all for the average price of $15. I thought it would be $10 higher! This is a standout!

ESPORAO

2011-10-21T18:54:00.000-07:00

ESPORAO

I recently had the pleasure of attending a wine dinner at Philippe Restaurant that featured the wines of Esporao and Quinta dos Murcas.

For starters, virtually all of the wines were outstanding values, and were paired up impeccably with the fantastic food. Winemaker David Baverstock was there to lead us through the wines being tasted, walk us through a power point presentation, and to answer questions.

The entire event was well executed, and quite memorable. (Especially the Tuna lasagna!)

As I said, the food was fantastic, and the wines showed beautifully.

Here’s what I thought about the wines…

2010 Alentejo Verdelho (SRP $13)– Mellow and fleshy with peach and stone fruits on the palate. The texture seemed to be a combination of lees stirring a malo-lactic fermentation. (Confirmed by D.B.)

2009 Esporao Reserva White (SRP $20)– Frog label – Balanced, a lovely, dry white wine.

2008 Esporao Reserva Red (SRP $25)– Salamander label – A little rough, but full bodied. Nice

2009 Private Selection White ($25) – Snake Label – Mostly Semillon, but I thought it was a white Rhone variety. Fat, mellow and spicy with hints of fig. The most impressive wine of the night for me!

2007 Private Selection Red ($60) – Bull label – Rough, but spicy with a good mid-palate. Needs decanting!

2009 Quinta Dos Murcas Assobio ($13) – Tight, velvety, layered and classy. A great red wine for the price!

2008 Quinto Dos Murcas Reserve ($40) – Juicy and Cab-like, with deep berry flavors, spices and a velvety texture. Very cool!

Quinto Dos Murcas 10 year Tawny port ($30) – Juicy, spicy, dates, black pepper, MMM!.

Again, the only wine that wasn’t a “value” was the Esporao Private Selection red. All of the others were well worth the money, and some were even worth twice the price.

I highly recommend that you get out and try this stuff. You’ll be glad you did.

And as a reminder, I can usually get you pricing for notably less than SRP!

Cheers,

Chuck

Pioneer Wine Company

2011-08-22T16:53:00.000-07:00

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