California and Lebanon

Another night of packing for the move and with the hubby out doing grown-up stuff I was left alone for dinner. Since it has been quite a while I walked down to The Vine for a quick bite and sample a few wines. I opened with a comparison of two Pinot Noirs, Handley Cellars 2006 Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley and 2006 Talisman Wines Thorn Ridge Vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir (see picture on the left). At the onset they seemed virtually identical in color and nose, hints of strawberry, spice, and a bit of clove. Boy, it going to be hard to differentiate them. But as always, time told the true story. While both wines started out extremely close in terms of nose, body, taste, and finish, time was not so kind to the Handley as it was to the Talisman. After a bout 20 minutes it seems virtually everything was gone from the Handley while the Talisman continued to open up to provide a lovely little Pinot with good acidity, lean but not racy, soft but slightly dry with a medium length finish.


After this comparison I was convinced to try something different. The server poured me a sample of 2002 Chateau Musar Hochar Père & Fils, a wine from Lebanon. This wine is blend of the "three C's", Carignan ,Cinsaut, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The nose was lovely, like a strawberry wrapped in licorice accented with rose petals. I detected a hint of petroleum and earthiness (which I attribute to the fact that it is unfiltered). The wine is medium bodied but round with a slightly thick texture (again, probably because it isn't filtered) with smooth tannins and just enough acid to support the other components. A surprise what was pleasant!

Number of wines reviewed in 2010: 27

2007 Frei Brothers "Reserve" Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel

The end of another day of moving and while we talked about heading to Jake's On Sixth or The Vine for a glass of wine we were just too beat and went home. Wanting something from the vine I looked at the wine that had not been stored for the move and selected a bottle of 2007 Frei Brothers "Reserve" Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel . The wine has a good reputation earning a 90 from THE Robert Parker so I was looking forward to something exceptional. Upon popping the cork my nose was greated with an interesting mix of earth, cocoa, cherries and a sweet oakiness that was rather pleasant but surprising. I poured a glass and waited a few minutes for the wine to breath. This Zin was a deep, inky purple in the glass and looked rather nice when swirled with good legs and an incredibly deep color. For me, though, the love ended soon afterward. While not bad, I was underwhelmed. The nose did transform into more blueberry and cherry with a lingering oaky spiciness that was pleasant enough but the first sip was disappointing. The wine seemed to me to be a bit along the line of sour cherries with a hint of the aforementioned blueberry. The tannins were not sharp at all, kinda smooth actually, but while all of the components were there the wine just didn't speak to me. Fruit, check. Acid, check. Soft tannins, check. But in this case the whole was not equal to the sum of the parts. The finish was medium length with a touch more spiciness at the end, but the overall experience just didn't live up to expectations.

Number of wines reviewed in 2010: 24

Gnarly Head "Old Vine" Zinfandel 2008

If Napa is known for its Cabernet and Merlot and Sonoma for its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, Lodi is a destination for Zinfandel lovers and Gnarly Head is known for its reasonably priced excellent offerings. While a bit young this 2008 Old Vine Zin shows some real promise. The wine is luscious and dark hinting at what is in store. Fruit and spice are big on the nose with raspberry jam and spicy oak there andjust a hint of licorice. The wine is medium bodied but a touch tight and young giving a not unpleasant taste but one that telegraphs something better in another year or two. Well constructed, I look forward to sampling the second bottle I purchased in 2011. Recommendation, buy but hold for about another year. Pretty good now, will be excellent next year.

Number of wines reviewed in 2010: 23

Sequoia Grove Cabernet 2005

I've been hitting two grapes (hate to say types) lately, Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon. My friend Sarah and I were at temple on Tuesday night per our habit. For that rendezvous I selected what I hoped would be a fine wine, Sequoia Grove 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley. When Nick poured a glass I enjoyed the lovely deep, dark color and immediately my imagination began to put suggestions of what to expect. On first pass under the nose I was, well, disappointed. There was a faint hint of dark fruit and what seemed like a dusting of cocoa, but nothing like what I was prepared for. And the mouth was dry, like dust on a windy day. So slightly crestfallen I put the glass down and engaged in conversation for about 15 minutes. Oh, what a difference that 15 minutes made. I had truly fallen into a rookie mistake and not allowed this great little wine to breathe properly. My bad, because this wine really, really wakes up. I got luscious blackberry, cherry, cocoa, hints of cassis and cedar all rolled up into one olfactory experience. This wine is full bodied, very rich with fruit and supple tannins and just the right amount of acidity making it all come together with a lovely, long finish.

In this case patience really was a virtue!

Number of wines reviewed in 2010: 22

Rosenblum Rockpile Road Zinfandel 2007

I've read a lot about Rosenblum Cellars and their Zinfandels so I thought it was high time to try one. I dropped in at 3rd Corner Wine Shop and Bistro in Ocean Beach and picked up a bottle of the 2007 Rockpile Road. This was very exciting for me because I have been tasting quite a few outstanding Zins lately and looked forward to having yet another one by a noted vintner. The wine is very pretty, a deep purple in the glass that was very eye-catching. The nose was full, delivering dark berries and hints of spice with just a touch of cedar and hint of (I swear) tar. The flavors are intense with smooth tannins and just enough acidity to deliver a good finish though to be honest I could have stood a touch more acid to wake it up a little. A good wine but I don't think I would have rated it as well as Wine Spectator did (90 pts).

Number of wines reviewed in 2010: 21

Fess Paker Viognier 2006 (Santa Barbara County)

Ah from time to time I just want something light and fruity (no comments Sarah) and the other night I pulled a bottle of Fess Parker Viognier 2006 from my little wine stash. I like Viognier, more than Chardonnay (which makes me the stranger among the people I hang with) and once again Fess make me one happy wine taster. The wine looked lovely when swirled in the glass, a touch of gold and green in the liquid. The wine is aromatic with honeysuckle and orange blossoms being dominant with just a touch of spice and vanilla. Good acidity and I was totally unaware of an alcohol content of 14.9% which goes to show how well they make their wines at Fess Parker. The finish was nice and smooth with the slow fade of the fruit on the tongue.

Number of wines reviewed in 2010: 20

Back to Temecula: Leonesse 2007 Zinfandel

For those of you following my blog you know that the little-known region around Temecula has started producing some wines of note. The top three in terms of consistency of quality as of this moment for yours truly are Alex's Red Barn, Baily Winery, and the supplier of today's wine Leonesse Cellars. In my latest wine club shipment I received their 2007 Vineyard Selection Zinfandel, "Temecula Valley Vineyard". This wine was lovely to look at in the glass, dark ruby in color and nice legs. The nose is full of black and blue fruits (plums, blackberry, and hints of dark cherry) with a touch of cedar and dark chocolate. The wine is sufficiently complex and layered to keep the interest of a Zin lover and yet approachable enough that someone looking for a fun wine will enjoy it. Medium bodied, nice acidity, runs a little hot (15.5%) but with the spice in the finish it all seems to come together. The beef skewers I ordered at MA4 meshed quite well with it as did the spicy crab cakes (go figure). Well done Leonesse! Now get up to Temecula and grab some, only 498 cases were made!

Number of wines reviewed in 2010: 19