Tag Archives: california

National Park Foundation Yosemite White Artisan Blend NV

06 Monday Feb 2017

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This is an interesting wine, made by Adler Fels winery and sold with a cause in mind.  Some of the proceeds go to the National Park Foundation.  It is a blend of Viognier, Moscato, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc.  Very rustic in the glass, it is a very dark gold in color.  An interesting nose of green guava, melon and pear.  On the palate, grapefruit, melon and more pear.  This wine is not overly acidic and the mouthfeel is quite warm, medium bodied.  It drinks nicely and will go well with the pan roasted Cod I am preparing.  It runs $13 and gets 87 points from me making it a 3 star wine.  Salut….

yosemite artisan white wine

J. Lohr Estates Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon, Paso Robles 2014

21 Saturday Jan 2017

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A buddy of mine brought this along.  He paid $12 at Costco for it and I was impressed.

Nose of sweet cassis, blackberry and pepper.  The palate shows dark fruits, solid tannins and juicy acidity.  The mid palate gives plum, dark cherry and a hint of cedar. The finish is laced with mouth drying tannins and plum torte.  I would pair it with many different dishes, pasta, steak, cheese plate.  A really decent drop for a party and something to buy by the case.  89 points and 4 stars from me.  Salut….

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Beringer Founders Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2014

05 Thursday Jan 2017

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If you read my last post on the Beringer Pinot Noir you may put two and two together to figure out that this is the second bottle we bought that took the price up to $18 for 2 instead of $11 for one.  I saved the heartier wine for later, and I am glad I did.  I really enjoyed the Pinot and was hoping for a repeat performance with this Cab.  I was not disappointed.

Purple with a nose of plums, eucalyptus, black currant.  On the initial attack, more plums, chocolate powder and currants.  Medium tannins arise on the mid palate and complement the gentle acidity for a nice mouthfeel.  The finish is medium in length and offers star anise, plum ganache and black currant.  I’m going with another 89 points for the Beringer twins and give this one a thumbs up 4 stars.  Pair with steaks, pizza, pasta and drink till 2020.  Salut….

beringer founders estate cabernet sauvignon

Beringer Founders Estate Pinot Noir, California 2014

03 Tuesday Jan 2017

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I picked up two bottles for $18, but it really should be priced at $11 per.  The wine is  a see through light purple in the glass, commensurate with the varietal.  On the nose I am getting strawberry, cherry and pomegranate.  All three primal flavors are typical for the Pinot grape.  On the initial taste there are more cherries and some really nice strawberry candy notes.  In and amongst the mid palate flavors there lurks some tannins.  If you have read my notes for a while, you may recall that I have a hard time distinguishing tannin levels in Pinot Noir, but when I sense they are present then there must be a boatload of ’em.  This wine drinks in a dry style and is leaving the telltale sensation on my gums.  There is an acidity that comes out as sour cherry on the mid to finish that I am digging.  On my second go at this wine I got a very strong hit of rock candy on the front end, interesting.

This wine drinks very nicely and is a definite bargain for Pinot Noir.  It will do nicely with some Roast Chicken, a killer pairing with Coq Au Vin and it will ride nicely with my mother’s Steak and Kidney Pie.  (She’s very British you know…).  Drinking window is wide open from 2017-2022.  89 point and 4 stars from me.  Salut….

bringer founders estate pinot noir

Argot Wines ‘Bastard Tongue’ Sonoma County Pinot Noir 2013

15 Thursday Dec 2016

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I good mate of mine brought this over for Thanksgiving but we never got around to it.  I am glad in a way as it meant I could devote the proper attention to tasting this well crafted beauty.  A quick check of the internet reveals a price of $70- yikes.  But damn is this wine good…

Beautiful reddish purple in the glass.  A nose of cherries jubilee, spicebox, cedar.  On the palate a gorgeous medley of cherries, rhubarb and black berries.  Nicely integrated tannins meld well with the acidity and give the mid palate a smooth mouthfeel with notes of cinnamon, more cherry and some espresso.  The coffee theme runs into the finish that shows just a touch of acidity and some vanilla.  There is a citrus peel component on the finish that leaves it a little tart which is my only concern.  Overall a very well made wine which has enough earthiness and an abundance of fruit to pull off many matches, both Burgundian and New World.  92 points from me and 4 stars.  I paired it with Lasagne because that was what was for dinner- you can do better with a Coq Au Vin dish, perhaps even a roasted Cornish hen with wild rice. Really delicious.  Salut….

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Cosentino ‘The FRANC’ Cabernet Franc Lodi 2014

24 Monday Oct 2016

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A see through purple that indicates to me a textbook amount of extraction for this seductive and silky grape.  A nose of black fruits, oak and black cherry.  I have come across this profile before, but not in a Cabernet Franc.  On the palate there is a really delicious black cherry component that mixes it up with violets.  The tannins are well integrated yet offer a certain dryness that goes well with many foods.  The mid palate and finish continue the tastes found initially and the wine rounds out with a decent mid length finish that has a tar component.  I am really enjoying this wine, not just because I love Cab Franc, but because it adheres to some of the basic tenets of the grape yet goes into uncharted territory for me.  89 points from me and for $13 it is a good deal worth 4 stars.  Salut….
cosentino the franc

Michael David Petite Petit Lodi Central Valley California 2014

12 Wednesday Oct 2016

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Moxie and I went to the local Costco yesterday and I steered us into the wine aisle…  I picked up some interesting wines but the label on this one sold both Moxie and me.  She’s a graphic artist by trade and has a good eye for marketing.  This label was a winner.  I glanced at the back label and immediately decided I needed to try this blend of 85% Petite Sirah and 15% Petit Verdot.

Wow, what a beautiful dark purple in the glass.  A nose of twizzlers, strawberry jam and some oak.  It’s not my favorite profile but I’ll wait to taste.  The initial taste is deelish.  This is a rich wine that starts off with black cherries, dark stone fruit and strawberries on the mid palate.  Ripe tannins round it out for a balanced mouthfeel. The wine finishes strong with notes of cherries jubilee laced with some tannins.  I’m loving the flavor profile if not the aromas.  I bought this wine for $12.89 at Costco.  You know I love both Petite Sirah and Petit Verdot which makes this wine really appealing.  It rates a 90 with me and that makes it a must buy and 5 stars.  I’m getting more in the morning.  Drink now till 2019 with red meat, venison and stews.  A perfect fall wine.  Besides, look at that cool label- winner!  Salut….
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Wente Beyer Ranch Zinfandel 2012

25 Wednesday May 2016

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A funny thing happened on the way home.  I was on the return flight across the country, flying on United Airlines when I decided to try their other premium offering.  I asked for the Pinot Noir and was given a Chardonnay.  I returned it for something a little more red and ended up with a Zin.  The wait was excruciating, I had already paid my $15.99 for a 375 ml and was now forced to endure the flight attendant’s attempts to open the bottle.  It took a good 5 minutes longer than it should, for a good reason.  See below….

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The real story is the wine…which was served in a plastic cup again.  The notes:

I get some “nothing” on the nose, the cup does this wine no justice.  The initial taste is pleasing with black plum, some bramble and dark cherry cola. A spiciness hits the mid palate and I get some very integrated tannins on the finish. The wine is quite tasty and flows well with good mouthfeel. The 14.5% alcohol is well masked as is a touch of acidity. This wine is 4 years old and drinking at peak now. This is United’s other premium red wine offering and is worth the trade up from two smaller bottles of their regular $7.99 offerings. I’m finding Zins from Livermore are getting better and more refined. I’m glad I tried this one. 87 points and 3 stars.  The average score across the web is 84-86 points and retails for $13, I guess I was enamored!  It went great all by itself but would pair nicely with some Osso Bucco, perhaps a spicy sausage pasta or even some roasted chicken.  Salut….

wente beyers ranch zinfandel

Yup, she really did try it!!!

 

The Buccaneer Cabernet Sauvignon 2013

19 Tuesday May 2015

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I needed some wine for a friends evening so I stopped into Bevmo to pick some up.  I was confronted with their 5Cent sale, buy from a selection of wines at full price and the second bottle is only 5 cents- basically a BOGO offer.  This one was appealing from the shelf talker so I thought ‘what the heck’.  $10 per bottle for California Cabernet?  No brainer.

Bright damson nose with tar and plum on the first sip.   Mild tannins and gentle acidity make this very approachable.  Cinnamon and spice on the mid palate add a level of complexity and there is a longish finish of tannins and acidity that I only just noticed. 89 points with a window of 2015-2022 make this wine is a lurker. Good value from Bevmo at $20 for 2. At full price this would be a 3 star wine.  Salut….

the buccaneer cabernet sauvignon

Alexander Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir 2013

08 Wednesday Apr 2015

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If you recall reading about my trip to California with my son, this is the winery that we took a tour of.  I was so impressed with the warmth the staff showed and the casual way in which they took great care of us on our tour.  The winery is located off the beaten path and has cellars cut into the hillside.  The Pinot was an interesting balance of styles.  Quite a bit heavier than most Pinots, it also had a delicacy about it.  Nose of new world Pinot with strawberries and bing cherries. Initial hints of white cherry and strawberry with some nutmeg and spice on the palate. Very smooth mouth feel which includes very slight tannins and a touch of acidity. Nice and rounded for a balanced profile that drinks well by itself but begs for some smoked salmon and capers. Roasted chicken and a risotto would take a close second. 2015/2020 91 points. 4 stars for this $28 effort.  Thanks for the tour and the memories!  Salut….

alexander valley vineyards pinot noir

Me and Jet, checking out the cellar

Me and Jet, checking out the cellar

The entrance to the cellar

The entrance to the cellar

Alexander Valley Vineyards

Alexander Valley Vineyards

The unofficial tour guide that Jet loved

The unofficial tour guide that Jet loved

The Russian River, from above

The Russian River, from above