Food, Wine, Culture TV- Episode 2: WineBloggingWednesday 48 - Back to my wine “roots” in Detroit!

Today is WineBloggingWednesday (which I talk about in the video) and the theme is taking it back to you roots. My wine “roots” began in Detroit with some cheap “wine” and slowly progressed to high end California Cabernet. Join me (and special guest Carlos L) for a tasting, beginning where I began and ending where I was 5 years ago- Drinking big Cali Cabernet and Bordeaux Blends. (Links pertaining to this episode and truncated tasting notes are below the video)
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Good wine tastes even better when made by great people: An interview with Paul Romero of Stefania Wine

One of life’s simplest pleasures is a well made glass of wine. A single glass of wine exemplifies the hard work put into the vineyard and winery, as well as the personality and passion of its winemaker. When it comes to making good wines that express love and appreciation of both the vineyard and the wine, not many folks do it as good as Paul (and Stefani) Romero of Stefania Wine. Read more

Ordering wine in a restaurant: “By-the-glass” offers a fun learning experience (4 wines with steak)

After a few hours of working on the kitchen Saturday, Kim and I were getting hungry and it was getting late. 8:00 PM rolled around and we decided we wanted good steaks. Our favorite steakhouse in town is Fleming’s Primes Steakhouse and Wine Bar which offers 100 wines by the glass, an extensive reserve wine list and a variety of meats and seafood to satisfy any appetite. Beware that the wine prices are a bit high, but their by-the-glass list offers many good values, the food is always good, and the service is outstanding. So we called, squeezed in a 9:30 reservation and excitedly hurried over anticipating a great meal.  (Image from dreamstime.com)

Now, normally at a nice dinner I order a bottle of Champagne and a bottle of red wine at the beginning of the meal. This gives the wine time to sit in a decanter if necessary and helps us decide on what we are going to eat. At a steakhouse, it’s almost always a Cabernet or Bordeaux-blend, with the occasional Malbec or other miscellaneous varietal wine. On this night, though, we decided to try something different. SO we started our meal with a round of white wines by the glass, a Riesling and a Gewurztraminer to be precise. Both were quite good and perfect with our fried calamari appetizer. Read more

20 Great Value Wines: How to drink good wine when gas is $5.00 a gallon or more

The current economy has most of us cutting back on non-essentials, driving less, and trying to find ways to save a few bucks. Below is a list of wines that you can afford by cutting back on two gallons of gas or less (most are under $10!). For specific recommendations on wines, wine regions, wine pairings, or anything related to value wines, leave a comment. Have a favorite wine under $10 that I missed? Let us know about it! (Image: WINE AND MONEY© Kvkirillov | Dreamstime.com)

Here are my top picks for value wines, producers, and wine regions. Keep in mind that an 85 is a “Very Good” wine and shouldn’t be overlooked. Too often reviewers and magazines want you to think that only 90 point wines are worth drinking…this isn’t the case and can become quite expensive! An 85 point wine is a wine that I consider to be very good, and would buy again.

Keep an eye out for my report next week on the best wineries and wine regions when it comes to quality and value!

Twenty Great Value Wines: (Click here to download this as a shopping list in PDF Form)

Sparkling

N.V. Riondo Prosecco Veneto IGT -$12 (Italy, Veneto, Veneto IGT): Sealed with a traditional cork requiring a cork-screw. A little sweet, hint of yeast, a little fruity, not a lot of fizz but quite refreshing. Overall good appertif, nice flavors. My rating: 87 pts, GV (Good Value)

N.V. Roederer Estate Brut -$21 (USA, California, North Coast, Anderson Valley): This is the most expensive wine I put on the list, with all the others being $12 or less. But for the price, you get good value here. Apples and citrus on the palate, a very crisp wine with subtle nuttiness and caramel. Nice finish- a great bottle of a special dinner on a budget. My rating: 89 pts, GV Read more

May 16th, 2008 - Robert Mondavi Day

Today the wine world lost one of it’s most loved and influential members. Robert Mondavi died at the age of 94 in his Napa Valley home. Mondavi launched his own wine label at the age of 52 back in 1966. He aimed to produce high quality wines at a time when the US was just beginning to open up to the idea of fine wine. Into his late eighties and even early nineties, Mondavi spent his days traveling the world promoting American wines. Further, in more recent years, Mondavi was well known for his philanthropy and contributions to American wine education.

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6 Reasons to Sneak Away From Lab For Lunch: Tasting Notes on Wines from Shafer Vineyards

Some lunches are good, others just OK. Today’s lunch was, well..outstanding.

I was invited by a friend (thanks Dae!) to join in on a tasting at Kali’s Court in Fells Point. The wines being poured were all from the California producer, Shafer, which are represented locally by Bacchus. This was quite the treat as Shafer is one of California’s premier producers. Located in Napa Valley’s Stag Leap District, Shafer produces some of the most highly sought-after California wines (especially their “Hillside Select” Cabernet). Overall, I was thoroughly impressed with the wines. Although they aren’t priced to be daily drinkers, these wines (with the exception of the Merlot) are worth their price and are a provide value for a special occasion.

Without further ado, the tasting notes: Read more

Tasting Note: 1978 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Bosche Vineyard

After a weekend involving ripping out the kitchen (we’re doing a complete renovation, image below shows new washer/dryer!). it was nice to open a 30 year old wine in a pre-celebration for Kim’s upcoming birthday! Here are a few pics of the renovation, as well as the tasting note on the wine. Explanations for the tasting note are at the end!

1978 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Bosche Vineyard: Stood up for two weeks in the cellar to let the sediment collect. Light seepage which worried me. The cork came out perfectly in one piece. Decanted very gently only to remove sediment of which there was a significant amount. In the glass the wine reddish with some bricking. The nose had sweet scents with some rhubarb and earth. Surprisingly the wine wasn’t maderized or gone. After 10 minutes in the glass fruits emerged, although very subtle, blackberry. The wine begins actually quite nice, but falls apart near the finish when the tannins that survived show up as well as a big mouthful of coffee. Long over the hill but still drinkable. Overall I was happy with the bottle! My Rating: 85 pts

• Standing the wine up: When you are preparing to drink an older wine, it’s always recommended you stand the bottle up for a few weeks to allow the sediment to collect at the bottom of the bottle.
• Decanting very gently over candlelight, will allow you to pour only the wine into the decanter while keeping the sediment where it belongs, in the bottle!
• A wine that is “maderized” has been “baked” (oxidized) and suffers from a tangy, acidic profile.
• Wines that are “over the hill” have surpassed their suggested drinking window and can be either drinkable or far beyond anything palatable.

Recipe: Cinghale (Wild-Boar) Sausage and Shrimp on Greens

A very easy and quick appetizer I came up with one night while figuring out a new way to make shrimp. Any mild sausage could be used as a substitute if cinghale is not available.

Ingredients

• 8-10 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 3 Tablespoons Shallots, chopped fine
• 1 large clove garlic, chopped fine
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 cup dry sherry
• 3 oz wild boar sausage, chopped roughly
• salt/pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cups arugula, spinach or other preferred green

1. Saute garlic and shallot in olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage after 2-3 minutes and cook for 3 additional minutes.
2. Deglaze pan with sherry - allow to reduce for 3 minutes. Add butter.
3. Once melted, add shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side. Coat well with sauce while cooking.
4. Plate on bed of greens and serve with sauce as a dressing.

Wine Pairing: 2004 Dutton Estate Chardonnay Dutton Ranch

A glimpse of summer…Fresh Maine Lobster, Scallops and a Chilled California Chardonnay

What better way to welcome warm summer nights than to chill some Corona’s and Sparkling wines? Kim and I recently decided that we have had enough of the cold and picked up some Live Maine Lobsters and sea scallops.

The pairing of the night was the 2004 Dutton Estate Chardonnay, which was very buttery and a great match for both the lobster and the scallops.

2004 Dutton Estate Chardonnay - $35: Pale gold color. Good weight in the glass, with aromas of apple, peach, buttered popcorn, oak, vanilla bean. Bubblegum, dried apricot, apple, cotton candy, with a hint of grass on the medium body. Good acidity, good balance, nice crispness on the finish. Bordering on “too much oak” but it pulls it off nicely. I’d recommend an hour decant (yes I know it’s a white wine). My rating: 90 pts, GV (good value)
A great place to get live Maine Lobsters any time of year:

I love it when friends come to visit - Cheeses, scallops, shrimp, ribeyes, Cabernet, Syrah and more!

I love it when a good friend comes to visit. It’s a great excuse to open a few nice bottles of wine and make a big dinner. Last night my friend Brandon drove down from Michigan for dinner and a 4 day mini-vacation. About 10 minutes after pulling into the driveway, we went to a local wine store for a wine tasting and to stock up for the weekend. From there we hit Whole Foods where we found some cheese, sweet potato’s, scallops, collosal shrimp, beef ribeye steak and a bison New York strip steak.
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MD Cru February 2008 Recap: Traditional Pairing of French Cuisine and Big Cali Wines!

On Sunday February 24, 2008 the MD-Cru (previous events: Big Wines, Chateauneuf du Pape) met up for it’s monthly gathering of friends, new and old, to talk wine, catch up on politics, and drink a few bottles of wine with a light meal. This month’s venue was familiar to many of us in the “Cru” - Cafe de Paris in Columbia, Maryland with the wine theme familiar to any serious wine enthusiast: California Wine.

When I say “few bottles of wine”, I mean 20 outstanding wines, including 2 barrel samples from Stefania Winery. And by a “light meal” I mean onion soup, fois gras, ratatouille on crustini, ribeyes, lamb chops and duck breast finished off with decadent chocolate moouse and other delectable desserts. Classic French Cuisine with the traditional pairing of big Cali wines…at least we started the evening with Champagne!
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Tasting Notes: Chameleon Cellars and Bravante

Notes from a recent tasting. Overall, there wasn’t a “bad” wine in the bunch. Some were good, some were great. A few outstanding! The Chameleon Cellars wines are styled to let the fruit express itself and would be best consumed any night of the week with a good, simple food pairing. In contrast, the Bravante wines are complex, elegant examples of the potential of the fruits with good blends and the right amount of oak. These wines are built to stand up to big steaks, rich dishes, and for the most part are structured to last a few years in the cellar. Both producers are highly recommended - at least a few wines from each! In fact, I recommend that you go out and find a wine from either (or both) producer(s), drink it, write what you think, and e-mail them to me or post a comment! (These wines can be found online or at shops throughout Baltimore)

Without further ado, in the order we drank them:

2006 Chameleon Cellars Sauvignon Blanc North Coast: Tropical fruits and some mineral on the nose - honeydew, peach, apple, and jasmine on the palate - good acidity, nice crisp finish. My rating: 89 pts, GV (Good value)

2005 Chameleon Cellars Grenache - Mendocino: Nose filled with cherry and raspberry, a touch of smoke and a mild wet dirt component. Lot’s of black cherry on the palate, light then becoming fuller with medium tannins. Would be great with rabbit. My rating: 87 pts, OKV

2003 Chameleon Cellars Charbono: Nose of spruce, herbs, eucalyptus, with cherry and white pepper on the palate. Overall good balance but could benefit from a touch more acidity. The finish is medium length and brings back a hint of herbs. My rating: 87 pts, GV

2005 Chameleon Cellars Carignane: The most widely planted grape in southeastern France, this Salono County Carignane was made from hillside vines and fruit from a warm growing season. The result is an earthy nose with a touch of chocolate. Good acidity with cherry notes, light in style with a smooth finish - very interesting wine that would pair nicely with a variety of wild game. My rating: 87 pts, GV

2005 Chameleon Cellars Syrah: Brilliant color and weight to this wine. Just approaching the glass with your nose you are bombarded with red pepper and spice. A lot of fruits stand out in the wine and the medium tannins are well integrated. More Old-World in style which is a good thing! My rating: 90 pts, VGV (Very Good Value)

2005 Chameleon Cellars Petit Sirah: Coming from 112 year old vines, this Petit Sirah is very good (tasted from 3 bottles). Dark purple color, aromas of dark cherry, spice and cigar box. Big, dark fruits and black pepper on the palate - great structure, big, chewy tannins and a 30 second finish. Drink one now and lay a few down for the next 5 years when it should peak. My rating: 91 pts, OV (Outstanding Value)

2005 Chameleon Cellars Barbera Mendocino: Beautiful bright color, vibrant red fruits, tightly wound but explosive - the wine is balanced and finishes crisp - a great pizza wine. My rating: 86 pts, GV

2004 Chameleon Cellars Zinfandel, Gordon Valley (Napa): Concentrated flavors, blackberry, blueberry, earth, spice, medium tannins. My rating: 87 pts, GV

2004 Chameleon Cellars Merlot: Plum, cherry, raspberry notes. As with many of the other Chameleon wines, the fruits really stand out, but this one lacks balance of the other wines. My rating: 86 pts, OKV (OK Value)

2005 Chameleon Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon: In this first effort at a Cabernet, Chameleon did a fine job. Don’t expect the creamy, oakiness of many other Cabs as this was designed to let the fruit shine. Earth notes, blackberry, black cherry, bell pepper, medium tannins with a bite. No formal rating was recorded during my tasting but from memory it was good. At the price, it’s worth trying to see if it’s your style. NR (No rating)

2004 Bravante Merlot - $38: Plum, cherry, touch of thyme. Good mid-palate filled with fruits and some acidity that becomes balanced into soft tannins. A touch of sweet fruit returns on the finish and is highlighted with black pepper. My rating: 88 pts, GV

2004 Bravante Trio, $40: This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cab Franc is quite good. Lot’s of black fruits and buttered toast, dried herbs on the nose. The wine is complex with chocolate, blackberry, and some sweet cedar, has great structure and balance and finishes with layers of flavors and big tannins - I’d lay a few bottles down (if you can find them!) for 3 or more years. My rating: 93 pts, VGV

2004 Bravante Cabernet Sauvignon - $50: Consistent with my previous notes: dark fruits, deep color, herb, vanilla. Not decanted this time around, but it drank nicely. My rating: 92 pts, GV

2003 Bravante Simpatico - $75: This was my wine of the night - layers and layers of dark fruits, earth, cherry, cigar box, anise, spice. Huge body, big tannins, a Cadillac among Fiats. Big, long finish, did I mention this wine is big? Pricey but worth it if you like big California Cabs (wine is roughly 80% Cab Sauvignon and 20% Cab Franc) can find a few bottles of this very limited release. For best enjoyment, lay it down for at least 5 years maybe 10 or more! My rating: 94 pts, CV (this wine has “cellar” or “collectible” value - meaning if you can afford it, definitely go for it!).

Two California producers to look for: Chameleon Cellars and Bravante

I recently had the great opportunity of joining in a small group of winemakers, collectors and friends to taste through the portfolio’s of two exciting California wineries. Included in the group were representatives from both wineries: Jeffery Poppick of Chameleon, and Michelle Hunt of Bravante.

The evening started with a Chameleon Sauvignon Blanc. Jeff noted that to really appreciate the wine, one must overlook the frigid outdoor temperatures and imagine sitting outside on a warm, June evening in Maryland, enjoying the chilled, crisp, refreshing Sauvignon Blanc. I didn’t record formal notes on the wine, but a lot of tropical fruit jumped out and the wine had very good acidity and a nice finish. This wine is an easy choice at around $15 and being an 89 point wine.

From the lone white wine, we moved through the progression of reds getting details on the winemaking involved in each wine, as well as where the grapes were sourced. The passion that Jeff has for his wines was evident in his voice as he talked with excitement about his unique varietals such as Carignan and Charbono.

Overall the Chameleon wines were quite good and some were great. As a producer, Chameleon Cellars sources its fruits from vineyards across the Central and North Coasts of California. Whereas other wineries that produce their own fruit are stuck with low quality grapes in low quality vintages, Chameleon can choose to produce or not produce certain types of wines in any given year depending on the quality of the fruit.

It was a treat to taste all the wines side-by-side as I developed a great understanding of the style of wines Jeff likes to make as well as what he’s trying to express with his creations. For the most part, each wine had great structure and balance, and benefited from the right amount of time in barrel. Jeff’s philosophy of “let the fruit express itself” was evident from the start. In a blind tasting, I would not have guessed some of the wines to be from California as there was no tendency to let oak overshadow the finesse of many of this varietals. The best wines of the Chameleon bunch were a Grenache that was very bright and displayed good balance, a 2005 Syrah that gets a lot of points for being very unique and how it evolved nicely in the glass, and a Petit Sirah that had outstanding structure and tannins. Each are highly recommended (tasting notes to come).

After tasting through the Chameleon wines, we moved on to the wines of Bravante. Bravante may sound familiar as I have reviewed one of their wines in the past (see the review here). Represented by Michelle Hunt, of Bravante Vineyards, the four wines we had were quite different in every aspect as compared to the Chameleon wines. For starters, Bravante produces its own fruits at its two vineyards in the outstanding Howell Mountain appellation. This results in wines with very similar flavor profiles coming from incredible fruits. The amount of oak in the Bravante wines was right on and overall the wines were perfectly balanced and structured to stand up to a nice meal. Of the four wines we tasted, three were at least 90 points, with one being an outstanding 94 points (Bravante Simpatico, 2003). Michelle Hunt was very knowledgeable and passionate about her wines as well, and it was a pleasure to have the chance to get her input on their wines while we tasted.

I’d highly recommend looking into wines form both of these wineries. I’d characterize the wines of Chameleon as unique, everyday, food-friendly wines that are for the most part approachable at release and are moderately priced ($15-$30). Bravante’s wines are rich, luscious wines that can be approached now but for the most part are structured to last 5 years or more in the cellar. The Bravante wines are great for their price point, considering the price of other California wines of their caliber and would be great for a special dinner at home or a nice night dining out. In any event, both are worth taking the time to seek them out (Grand Cru and Diwine both carry these wines) as well as the money you’ll spend on them. Great thanks to both Michelle and Jeff for letting me taste their wines, as well as the host of the tasting and distributor of these wines, Rich at The Cult Wine Group. If you’re ever out in Napa and looking for something to do, check out the tasting room at Chameleon, as well as the tasting-room in progress at Bravante (picture here is of Bravante)!

Note: Tasting notes to follow.

TN: 2004 Ecluse Syrah - Paso Robles Vineyard - $23

2004 Ecluse Syrah - Paso Robles Vineyard - $23:  Decanted and poured.  Creamy melon nose with dried cherry and some spice…very aromatic and complex - quite nice.  Lot’s of cherry and some dark fruits on the palate, medium-big tannins and a good amount of alcohol which was in harmony with good acidity.  Opened up great after two hours…some of the initial oak subsided while the fruits stood out and tobacco appeared on the nose.  If you like Syrah, this one is highly recommended.   My rating: 92 pts, VGV (very good value)

I paired this with grilled veal chops, grilled parsnips and Bruschetta - overall was a good to very good pairing!   Recipes on the veal chops and Bruschetta will follow in the next day or two.

TN: 2004 Bravante Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain

Those of you who have been reading this site for some time, know that I don’t review too many California Cabernets. But, with all the hype of the 2004 vintage I am trying to get my hands on as many as possible to see if they are really worth all the excitement. The problem is, the prices are astronomical! With many of the better wines well over $50 and some even into the $150 or more range, there are a lot better ways to spend your money!

Today’s wine is the 2004 Bravante Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain. It’s reasonably priced for the vintage at around $50, but again, I could get 2-3 good bottles of wine from Chile, Argentina, Portugal, etc…for that same price. Nonetheless, California Cabernet’s are America’s premier and most highly celebrated wine and can be quite great. Heck, some are even worth the money. This Bravante is one of them.

2004 Bravante Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain : Decanted. Dark purple color - possesses big dark berry and currant, herb, vanilla, and spice notes. The body is medium to big with integrated and refined tannins that finish with a touch of spice and chocolate. Lovely with a medium-rare ribeye - drinking very nice now. Re-corked and drank great on Day 2 as well. My rating: 92 pts, GV (Good Value for a California Cabernet)

TN: Burrton Pinot Noir - Sonoma 2004

Burrton 2004 Pinot Noir - Sonoma - $24- Decanted and poured. Bright, light ruby in color. Nose of sour/black cherry, dark raspberry, cinnamon, misc spices. Good balance on the palette with more raspberry and a touch of rhubarb. Light in style, with a touch of minerals and a medium, refreshing finish and mild tannins. Got better over an hour and a half. Good value Pinot from Sonoma. My rating: 90 pts, VGV (Very good value).

Wine Spectator’s Top 100 Wines of the Year - What I thought!

This month The Wine Spectator released it’s top 100 wines of the year. Without getting into what I thought of their selections, and with 2008 a few days away, I thought I’d recap my tasting notes on the wines that made Wine Spectator’s top 100 that I was lucky enough to try. Unfortunately, the high prices of those wines in the top 50 were too much for me to taste more than a few! Maybe next year we’ll see more value wines making the top 50! NOTE - I’ve listed Wine Spectator’s ratings (WS Rating) and rank. For information on my Value Rating System, check out my ratings page.

Without further ado:

8. Mollydooker Shiraz McLaren Vale Carnival of Love 2006 ($80): Opened and tasted immediately: Mushroom, plum, cherry, big fruits, big yet soft tannins. Decanted. 2 hour decant: Great color. Still tight on the nose. The initial mushroom note is gone with the appearance of a musty-forest floor with a touch of pepper and bacon. On the palette it’s toasted cedar, vanilla, plum, pretty solid through the middle with a long, complex finish that goes on and on. At this point I’m definitely seeing 96 pts or more. 3 hour decant: Again showing better, more buttery now with a bit more spice. The fruits in this wine just don’t stop. Quite pleasing and still 96+ points. 4 hour decant: Just as elegant as before. I’m quite impressed with the structure of this wine and overall quality. Very good. A very solid 96 points. My rating: 96 pts, GV. WS Rating: 95 pts

12. Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino Madonna del Piano Riserva 2001 ($175): I have yet to try this wine, but it’s in the cellar and will be opened in 10 years or so!

16. Schild Shiraz Barossa 2005 ($25): Decanted - big dark fruits, spice, tobacco on the nose. On the palate the wine is explosive with big, dark fruit, leather, plum, tar. Smooth tannins, long finish - pretty straight forward big Aussie Shiraz if that’s your style, you’ll like this wine (the 2004 was a better wine overall). We had this twice and it was consistently good. My rating: 90 pts, GV. WS Rating: 93 pts

37. Navarro Zinfandel Mendocino 2004 ($19): Blueberry, blackberry, cherry and some spice notes on the nose, as well as a small petrol component. Very good balance given the amount of alcohol, smooth tannins and a medium-long finish. A good Zin and great value. Tasted 3 times with consistent notes and evaluation. My rating: : 93 pts, VGV. WS Rating: 92 pts

62. Louis Jadot Moulin-à-Vent Château des Jacques 2005 ($22): Decanted 1 hour. Earthy tones, cherry, raspberry and other bright fruits. On the palate the wine was very well balanced, with dusty tannins and a earthy, medium-length finish. Should get better with a couple years, drinking nice now with a long decant. My rating: 93 pts, VGV. WS Rating: 91 pts

71. Columbia Crest Merlot Columbia Valley Grand Estates ($11): Deep reddish plum in color with notes of plum, raspberry, vanilla and blueberry on the nose. The body is surprisingly creamy with soft tannins layered with good fruit and tar flavors. Long finish accented by a subtle chocolate note - well made bargain Merlot. Buy a case and enjoy one of the best values out there. My rating: 89 pts, OV. WS Rating: 90 pts

72. Yellow Tail Shiraz South Eastern Australia The Reserve 2005 ($11): With all the hype about the Yellowtail reserve Shiraz, I felt it would be fun to grab a bottle and see for myself whether it was warranted. I did not taste this blind, but I wish I had, it was very good. The wine was filled with dark fruits and spice with surprising balance and really smooth tannins. The finish fell apart a bit, but overall the wine is a great value and highly recommended as a daily drinker. My rating: 88 pts, OV. WS Rating: 90pts

77. Heidsieck Monopole Brut Champagne Blu Top NV ($35). Tasted from 375 mL bottle. Pale yellow color with plenty of tiny bubbles. Apple, pear, buttered toast with good balance. Light, crisp, and very refreshing. My rating: 90 pts, VGV. WS Rating: 91 pts.

92. Mulderbosch Chenin Blanc Stellenbosch 2006($14): Pale yellow color. On the nose is wet stone, pear, honey and a touch of lemon rind with citrus, pear and some more honey on the palate. This wine has some wild acidity but it’s not overwhelming and makes it a great spring/summer wine served with spicy cuisine. The finish is crisp and very refreshing. A great value wine from an outstanding producer. My rating: 91 pts, OV. WS Rating: 90pts

100. Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2004 ($70): Tasted twice. August 2007 - Filled with dark fruits, berry, currant, chocolate, touch of oak. Firm tannins, long finish. Another great wine from a great producer with good aging potential. My rating: 93 pts, CV. WS Rating: 92 pts

Caymus tasted again 12/26/07: Decanted 30 minutes at a wine bar. Real tight nose, blackberry, black currant, leather. On the palate the wine was a bit off from the other time I’ve had this and rated it 93 pts…the tannins were rough with a medium-long finish. Not corked, but maybe an off bottle. My rating: 87 pts (PV, poor value as it showed this time around).

WBW #40: “Que Sirah, Sirah”

Hi everyone, welcome to the 40th edition of “Wine Blogging Wednesday” (WBW) and my first time participating. Wine Blogging Wednesday began in the Summer of 2004 as a way to bring together the wine blogging community. The idea is simple, one day each month bloggers are given a wine region or type of wine as a theme of which they must choose a bottle of wine, taste it, review it, and post in on their site. The person who nominated the theme for a particular month is then in charge of linking together all of the posts on their own blog. Over 3 years later, the event is still going strong with participation from more than 30 bloggers from around the world. For more information, see the Wine Blogging Wednesday website at: http://www.winebloggingwednesday.org/

This month’s theme, hosted by Sonadora at WannaBeWino , is Petit Sirah.

Petit Sirah is an interesting variety as far as grapes go. It wasn’t until 2003 that with the use of clonal analysis, it was confirmed to be the same grape as the Durif grape of France. In fact, it wasn’t until around 2002 that I realized that Syrah and Petit Sirah were not the same thing (everyone has to start somewhere!). I have grown to love this once orphan grape. Wines made with Petit Sirah tend to have good structure from the big tannins as well as great color and a range of dark fruits and spice. Although Petit Sirah isn’t widely planted (60 or so vineyards in California according to winespros.org), you can find it on the shelves of most any wine shop. There is quite a following for this wonderful variety, including a very cleverly named organization and website “PS, I Love You” (www.psiloveyou.com).

This month I chose to review the 2005 Vinum Cellars “PETS” Petit Sirah which comes in around $12. The name, PETS, is a common knickname for the Petit Sirah grape. This wine was dedicated to the winemakers (Ken Wilson) dog Tanker. Having 3 dogs myself, I appreciate the sentiment and wonder what I would call a wine that I made to dedicate it to all three dogs…perhaps “muddy yard” would work.

The 2005 Vinum Cellars “PETS” Petit Sirah ended up being an amazing find. Great deep plum color with an inviting nose of dark berry, fig, and a touch of black pepper. The palate is surprisingly complex with flavors of dark fruits, blueberry, buttered toast, and miscellaneous herbs and spices. The finish is long, tannins are quite refined, and just before the wine leaves, it brings a few spice notes that make you wonder “all this for $12?” (which includes a small donation to local animal shelters). Drinking great now (let it open a bit in the glass), buy a case and enjoy it for the next two (or more) years. My rating: 91 pts, OV (outstanding value).

Make sure to check out the fellow bloggers websites which can be found linked at Sonador’s page at WannaBeWino!

Tasting Notes: 5 California wines you’ve definitely heard of - Part I

As my tasting notes are piling up, I decided to post this first installment of “California Wines You’ve Definitely Heard Of”. All of the wines I’ll put in this series are quite popular and can be found on the shelves of almost any wine shop or on the wine list at many restaurants. These were all tasted in the last two months (10/07 - 12/07) with many more to come!

2004 Cakebread Suavignon Blanc ($35): Nose and palate of grapefruit, honey, melon and a bit of vanilla. Good acidity but the alcohol was too much. My rating: 84 pts - PV

2004 Cakebread Chardonnay ($40): Great golden color with a lot of citrus flavors, apples, and a touch of jasmine. Well balanced with good acidity and a great finish. My rating: 92 pts - GV

2004 Bernardus Chardonnay ($20): Buttered popcorn, lemon, and a lot of oak. Good acidity, overall was pretty good, but maybe a little too oaky. My rating: 86 pts - GV

2004 Whitehall Lane Merlot ($30): This Merlot has all the right things going on. The nose is filled with blackberry, plum and dark cherry and a touch of spice. On the palate are flavors of fig, cherry, spice and smoke with good balance and a pleasant finish. Even if you don’t like Merlot, it’s worth giving this one a try. My rating: 92 pts - VGV

2004 Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon ($70): Filled with dark fruits, berry, currant, chocolate, touch of oak. Firm tannins, long finish. Another great wine from a great producer. Approachable now, better in a year or two. My rating: 93 pts. - GV

TN: 2004 Calera Pinot Noir Mills Vineyard

Bottle opened 1 hour before serving. I had high hopes for this low production, highly sought after Pinot. The color was a beautiful dark purple and graciously swirled around the glass. The nose was exploding with fresh cherry, dark raspberry, violet and a touch of sweet wood. On the palate, the wine showed good fruits, but I had expected a bit more complexity of flavors. A bit tight perhaps? Good balance, medium tannins and brief touch of spice led to a medium finish. Overall good, may be better in 2010 or later. Served with Thanksgiving Turkey (me carving the turkey at Dave’s house, Calera Pinot to the right). My rating: 90 pts

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