Alex's Red Barn "Old Vine" Sauvignon Blanc 2007

If you've been reading my blog for a while you know by now I have a few wineries in the local Temecula Valley AVA that I really like. One of the most consistent producers of good quality wines is Alex's Red Barn Winery and on a warm afternoon I reached for their Old Vine Sauvignon Blanc, 2007. This was a lovely, very clear lemony hued wine with the color extending out to the rim (a nice sign). The nose was clean, medium intensity with notes of grass, lime, green apple and a little gooseberry, a lovely style of Sauvignon Blanc. In the mouth you get a lovely dry medium bodied wine with good acidity and flavors of citrus and green apple that all combine to give a nice medium length mouthwatering finish. An excellent refreshing wine that should pair well with salads and fish dishes (especially when using a citrus-based sauce).

Number of wines reviewed in 2010: 71

What We Had For Thanksgiving

In a word... wine. This year we attended two Thanksgivings, one served at the house and one at a Tio Ely's. It made for an exhausting but fun day and of course an opportunity to share from the wine stash. The offerings we had were fairly traditional but of course there are reasons for traditions, in the case of wine, because they go well with the typical Thanksgiving meal. In no particular order those around us got to share the following:

2007 Louis Jadot Beaujolais: What a pretty wine, a lovely garnet in the glass that delivered what you would expect from a Thanksgiving wine. Very fruit forward with crushed strawberries, hints of cherry and peppercorn leading the way. Excellent acidity and gentle tannins make this a favorite of mine for Thanksgiving (or just when I want something light and fruity).

2008 Alex's Red Barn Grenache: A newer offering from one of my Temecula favorites, this wine is loaded with black fruits, high-finish acidity and smooth tannins. An extremely food-friendly wine for most any meal with roasted or braised meat.

2007 Fess Parker ATR Pinot Noir: Since I recently reviewed this wine I won't say anything more than this wine did not disappoint and was as expected a crowd pleaser.

2008 Baily's Temecula Valley Dry Riesling: Had to throw a white in and this one was lovely. Slightly less dry than the name suggests this wine, this was a crisp, lightly spicy, "appley" wine that blended stunningly with the turkey.

Wines reviewed in 2009: 220 (not counting the Fess Parker since it was recently reviewed)

Serendipity

I was rummaging through the cooler for something to sip tonight to help relax after a mentally taxing day when what did my eyes spy but a hidden bottle of Alex's Red Barn 2005 Viognier. Since I had two bottles of the 2007 stored it was quite a fun little find and after the momentary debate of holding my own private vertical tasting I decided to not waste any more time and opened up my find. In the glass this white Rhone varietal is nothing but pretty, clean, clean looking with just the slightest touch of golden sun in color. Now I know that it is not uncommon for a Viognier to lose a large part of it's nose after a few years but as I brought the glass up after a few healthy swirl I was greeted with the heavenly scent of honeysuckle and apricots with a slight floral underpinning. The wine smelled like a warm summer evening just as a cool breeze was working through (OK, that was kind of muddled but I hope you get the idea). In the mouth this wine shows a little body with bold fruits that might make you think sweet but you really get fruit more than sugar. There is some acid, moderate alcohol and fruitiness that leaves a little spiciness lingering on the finish. Even after a few years this wine can hold its own with much of what is out on the market.

Number of wines reviewed in 2009: 201

Alex's Red Barn's New Grenache 2008

Today after doing the Father's Day stuff my partner and I went to Temecula to pick up my wine shipments from Leonesse and Baily's. On the way home we stopped by Alex's Red Barn Winery where some of the cleanest, least manipulated hand-crafted wines in Temecula, if not SoCal, can be found. The whole reason for the detour (other than I have enjoyed their wines since I first tasted them nearly a decade ago) was I had been told of a new offering, a Grenache! I love a well-made Grenache which can range from light and fruity to some of the heavier Rhone productions. The moment I inhaled from the glass I knew I would enjoy it. The experience put it somewhere in the middle of Grenache spectrum. The nose was fruity with hints of spice and vanilla and just the slightest touch of green pepper. On the tongue I experienced cherries and blackberries exploding, supported by mouthwatering acid and smooth tannins with a little spice kicking in on the finish to carry it one a bit longer. This medium-light bodied wine makes a fine summer red, an excellent companion for grilled meat as well as a hearty stew or roasted lamb. The wine is a winner, enough to make me sign up for the wine club.

Wines reviewed in 2009: 199

Alex's Red Barn Syrah 2005

I didn't know what to drink last night while reading. I wasn't in the mood for a lighter summer wine because when you live a few blocks from the ocean in San Diego you typically do not have hot evenings (in fact, it was pretty overcast most of the day). I was hunting through my red wines and came across a bottle of Alex's Red Barn Syrah, 2005. As regular readers know I really enjoy the wines from Alex's Red Barn. They have a nice, minimal-touch style that really lets the wine speak without a lot of prodding and twisting from the winemaker. How this little gem escaped me I don't know but I eagerly popped the cork to be greeted with the lovely nose of cassis, plum, a touch of smoke, and an undertone of spice to come. The wine was pretty lean for what is often known as a big red. Good acidity and just enough tannin to make you appreciate it without overwhelming the taste buds. The flavors were a blend of spice (hints of white pepper) and black fruit blending with the lightish tannins and a touch of heat from the alcohol to provide a lovely medium-length finish.

Wines reviewed in 2009: 187

Tasting In Style - Escondido and Temecula (Part Two)

The next stop was a favorite of mine Alex's Red Barn. I've written about them before and nothing has changed. They produce some of the cleanest, more "fruit-speaking" wine in Temecula. While it's tough to go wrong with any of their wines some of my favorites are:

Viognier: Very elegant, beautiful floral nose with hints of the apricot and peaches to come. Wonderful acidity, almost worth the trip to Temecula itself (and this from a "red wine" guy).

Old-vine Johannisberg Riesling: Slightly sweet, lovely fruit (apricot and peaches) along with mouth-watering acidity makes this a favorite of mine.

Solera-Type Cream Sherry: Lovely Sherry made from the Palomino grape. Full-bodied and as they say "candy in a glass". A lovely after dinner drink.

Last on the list was another new winery for me, Hart Family Winery. Loved the little tasting room, reminded me a bit of Foxen in the Santa Ynez area. During this the inaugral visit to Hart some real finds I tasted were:

2005 Viognier: Lovely floral nose, hints of oak, nice acidity. Nice, but not something I should have had after Alex's offering but nice for the price.

2006 Sauvignong blanc: Nice offering, floral nose, fresh fruit and good acidity makes for a mouthweatering finish.

2005 Syrah: Lovely peppery spice and fruit on the nose, lovely mouthfeel, good tannins and acid leading to a medium-long finish

For the price, Hart shows some excellent value for the wines offered. Definitely worth a try.

So I really enjoyed our outing to Temecula... not just the wines and the limo, but spending time sharing with friends. I think this is the real spirit of wine.

Wines Reported On In 2009: 95

Two Wineries In Three Hours

Today Mr. Beau and I used the excuse of picking up my wine club shipment to do a little wine tasting in Temecula. Since we got a little late start we went to Leoness Cellars and had lunch at the wonderful Block Five restaurant. I had their flat bread "pizza" (crispy flat bread with pesto, roasted chicken and feta cheese) while my beau had their salmon. For an accompanying wine I had their 2006 Pinot Grigio (stainless steel fermentation allows the green apple and melon notes to speak uninfluenced by oak with nice crispness and refreshing finish) and he their 2006 Riesling (an off-dry offering with tasty apricot on the palate). After having satisfied our hunger we went to do a tasting and pick up our wine club shipment. I didn't go to any whites this time (having just had the Pinot Grigio) my taste buds lead me to the following standouts:

2007 Lana~Lisa Rosé of Cabernet Sauvignon, named in honor of the wives of the owners of Leoness Cellars this rosé was made "saignee-style" made by running off or "bleeding" a certain amount of free run juice from the just crushed dark skinned grapes. A touch of sugar and nice raspberries on the tongue would make this a nice pairing for something spicy.

2005 Cabernet Franc-Merlot, a nice nod to St. Emilion (could this become Temecula's Chateau Cheval Blanc?) this blend is wonderful with spicy notes on top of strong black cherry and blackberry, well rounded tannins balanced with good acidity and medium-long finish made me wish for a medium-rare steak to go with it. As I write I have a glass of this wonderful blend beside me.

2005 Meritage, a tasty blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and just a touch of Petit Verdot carried aromas of tobacco and some hints of eucalyptus and brought black fruit and spice to the tongue. A fine blend.

There were others I could talk about (such as their yummy Zinfandel and Mr. Beau's ravings on their Muscat Canelli almost made me break my red binge) but you should be getting the idea I really, really like what Leoness Cellars produces.

Our other tasting today took us to the other end of the Temecula Valley wine trail to Alex's Red Barn where we enjoyed the peace and tranquility of the place while being served by non-other than Alex himself! I have enjoyed his wines since my first trip to Temecula several years ago and today did not disappoint. As testament to the overall skill of Alex Mr. Beau told me that he enjoyed everything on the tasting list: Riesling, Viognier (one of the best I have tasted), Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon (and Mr. Beau almost never likes Cabs), Syrah, and Cream Sherry (a rare treat)! Alex doesn't "massage" his wines, letting the grapes speak for themselves. Many of the grapes come from vines that were planted over 40 years ago and have yielded fantastic fruit. As Alex told us, "When you have good grapes you don't have to "massage" the wine". One of the first wine courses I took said that the character of a wine is combination of "the grape, the ground, and the guy". Alex's Red Barn is a fine example of what can be done when the quality of all three is high.

Warm Summer, Cool Wines

Last night I gathered a few people together at the house for a little cookout. The afternoon was cool and breezy, one of the benefits of coastal living but since it was summer I decided to provide some nice dry and off-dry whites to go with the slightly spicy appetizers (a shrimp skewer where the shrimp was marinated in a nice little concoction that included cayenne pepper and habanero chile) and shirmp quesadillas with colby jack cheese). On the menu were Alex's Red Barn 2006 Viognier and Leoness 2006 Riesling both from Temecula and Kalyra 2007 Pinot Grigio from Santa Ynez. All three were yummy and a great compliment to the food. The Red Barn Viognier was crisp with wonderful balance of fruit, acid and alcohol that left the mouth feeling fresh and clean, a testament to how they make their wines. The Leonesse Riesling was fresh, full of apricot and peach (the color even had a hint to peach coloring in it) delivered to both the nose and palate. These two wineries are my favorites in Temecula and both delivered on their promises for the meal. The Kalyra Pinot Grigio was delicious as well, bright and clean with nice fruit and mouth feel that made the consumers quite happy.

After a while I decided that it wasn't fair for whites to get all the attention so I broke out a bottle of Fess Parker 2006 Pinot Noir American Tradition Reserve showing lovely red color matching the cherry and plum fruits it promised and delivered with just a touch of earthiness I enjoy in my Pinot Noir and just continued to show me how good Dan'l Boone is at winemaking (or at hiring the right people to produce consistently excellent wine).

At meal time I offered my guests the Château Petit Bocq 2005 which I reviewed before and paired wonderfully with the marinated beef that my beau grilled for us.