90 Points and Higher Tasting

This last weekend my love and I attend a "90 Points and Higher Tasting" at San Diego Wine Company. This was an interesting tasting, all of the wines selected had been rated 90 points or higher using either Robert Parker or Wine Spectator ratings. The selection came from a broad selection of geographical areas including the United States, Chile, Argentina, Spain, and France. Here are my notes from this event along with the stated points (RP = Robert Parker, WS = Wine Spectator):

Albert Mann 2007 "Vin D'Alsace" Pinot Blanc: Light straw color, herbal and appl on the nose, lean, good acid. Nicely refreshing wine. (RP: 90)

Vina Cobos 2007 "Chardonnay: From the Mendoza region in Argentina come a lovely little Chardonnay. Yellow-gold in color (reminded me a bit of Mountain Dew in its coloration), this wine delivers a nice beldn of oak, pear, melon and fig to the nose and having a lingering buttery citrus finish. (RP: 91)

Vignerons de Tavel 2007 Cuvee Royale: Light cherry/strawberry in color. Hints of strawberry on the nose. Fruity, hints of sour-cherry, soft tannins and good acidity with a medium-length finish. (WS: 90)

Ercavio 2005 "La Mancha": What a great little wine from Spain! 100% Tempranillo, this wine is dark garnet in color with some oak, black fruits, and tobacco on the nose. Dark chocolate, black fruits with a lean feel to it (quite an accomplishment). Lively spice on the finish. At $6.99 a bottle this is a great deal! One of our two top picks of the day. (RP: 90)

Bodegas Sabor Real 2006 "Toro": Another Tempranillo. Not as deep in color as the Ercavio. Lovely nose, seemed lighter and more fruity. Shorter finish. Good, but when compared with Ercavio not worth twice the price. (RP: 90)

Vina Santa Ema 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon: Lovely Chilean Cab from the Maipo Valley. Deep purple in color, lovely nose of black fruis, tobacco and dark chocolate. Mouthwatering acidity, soft tannins, excellent fruit all combinings into a great finish. (WS: 90)

Clos De Los Siete 2007 "Red Blend": Another fine offering from Argentina, a country that continues to deliver a good product at reasonable price. This is a Michel Rolland product (so you'll either enjoy it or turn your nose up at wine globalization at this point). This wine is a blend of Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Syrah. Very dark purple in color. Earth, cassis, tobacco nose. Nice mouthfeel, good body, fine balance of acid, tannin, and big fruit with a lingering lovely finish. (RP: 91 - surprised?)

Trinitas 2005 Petite Sirah "Old Vine": Finally a California offering, and what an offering. Lodi has been the source of some fantastic wines and this one is no different. Deep, dark in color. Heavier bodied than the others, a full, rich, mouthwatering wine delivering fruit, fruit, and more fruit with some lively spice (pepper?) on the lingering finish! This wine was the other on our top two list and a steal at $11.95 per bottle. (WS: 90)

Celler Bartolome 2006 "El Mirador": Back to Spain for a fantastic Grenache.Carignena blend. Black fruit, vanilla and milk chocolate nose (almost a caramel). Great fruit delivery with good tannin and acid support. Lean and clean with a nice finish. (RP: 91)

Landmark 2006 "Steel Plow" Syrah: This California winery delivers some stellar wines and this is just one more example. Pretty color, garnet with a nice bleed out to the edge. Fruit and "gaminess" on the nose. Fine fruit and hints of spice and tobacco with excellent tannins and acid. Long spicy finish. (WS: 94)

Sand Diego Wine Company continues to offer a great Saturday tasting experience with far, far more hits than misses from their hand-picked store offerings.

Wines reviewed in 2009: 160

Kenneth Volk Pinot Blanc 2005

While digging around in my cooler I came across a lone bottle of Kenneth Volk Pinot Blanc 2005. It has been a while since I tasted this wine and since it was the only bottle (not nearly enough to share) I decided to open it. For those of you not familiar with the name, Kenneth Volk founded Wild Horse Winery and Vineyards in Paso Robles in 1981. In 2003, he sold Wild Horse founded Kenneth Volk Vineyards at the eastern end of the Santa Maria valley. A bit adventurous in his wine making (I reviewed his Negrette earlier), he is one of the few wine makers who does a Pinot Blanc. What's a Pinot Blanc? The Pinot Blanc is a white grape, a genetic mutation of the Pinot Gris grape. An interesting grape, they look like a Chardonnay grape (and even lead some people to call them "Pinot Chardonnay"). In Europe you find the Pinot Blanc grape in France (in the Maconnais and Alsace regions), Italy, Germany, and Austria. Outside of Europe there are some plantings in Uraguay, Argentina, and some in California. Pinot Blanco is a somewhat neutral grape with good acidity.

Kenneth Volk's efforts show a good oaked representation of a Pinot Blanc wine. The wine is yellow with a tinge of green, clear and pretty to look at in the glass. The nose delivered a light apple/pear combination that made me wish for a bit of cinnamon and vanilla for a wintery treat. I almost got my wish... except for the cinnamon that is, for I got a little creamy, toasted vanilla pear/apple cobbler (mmmm... perfect for Christmas time) with nice acidity (though I wished for just a touch more bite to it), finishing up with a touch of minerality (flinty pear/apple cobbler) that trails off for a nice length.

For a typical summer wine, this delivered a lot of winter-time thoughts and feelings for me.