Charity Tasting At San Diego Wine Company

I was happy to attend a charity tasting for Southern Caregiver Resource Center, a local charity that helps families and caregivers by providing services that are inclusive of all issues related to caring for adults with chronic and/or disabling conditions held at San Diego Wine Company. The theme for the tasting was "Big Gun" and offered several higher-end wines from the store's inventory. There were 9 wines of which I sampled all 9 (naturally) and hors d'oeuvres provided by Metro Gourmet. The wines tasted in order poured an my hastily scribbled notes were:

Cakebread 2007 Sauvignon Blanc: Traditional Sauv Blanc, tart with bright citrus and light minerality delivering a nice finish. Good apèritif.

Shafer 2006 Chardonnay: Crisp, green apple and apricot. No malolactic fermentation so you don't get any buttery weight, this is a summer Chardonnay. Nice acid with a good finish that paired nicely with many of the food offerings.

Radio Coteau 2007 "La Neblina": A Pinot Noir from the Sonoma area that earned a 93 from Robert Parker. Smoke, red fruit, a little hint of choclate on the nose delivering big fruit with some fine acid and smooth tannins blending to a delicious finish.

Celani 2006 "Tenacious Red": An offering from nearby Napa that is a Cab Frac/Merlot blend. The nose promised big fruit and spice but I wasn't terribly impressed. Might have been the bottle but this one just didn't speak to me.

Don Melchor 2006 "Maipo": A well-regarded Cabernet Sauvignon from Chile's Concha y Toro. I was expecting wow and the nose indicated I would get that will big fruits, tar and tobacco. On the tasting, great opening but something happened on the finish that just wasn't agreeable. It seemed that the the hints of tobacco turned into ash and just turned me off. I definitely want to try it again but this night I wasn't happy.

Silver Oak 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon: OK, now we're talkin' again. Dark ruby red color, blackberries and cassis, licorice and hints of spice combine with mouthwatering acidity and smooth tannins makes for a fine experience.

Ghost Block 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon: Nice! Black Cherry, blackberry, cassis, hints of chocolate and toasty oak. Great mouthfeel, good acid/tannin/fruit balance with a lovely lingering finish.

Duckhorn 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon: Pleasant Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and just a touch of Cab Franc. Rich color, nose promises big fruit (Currant, black cherries, hint of plum). Good acidity, smooth tannins and nice fruit delivery. Big, will be better next year but fine right now.

Caymus 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon: A wine with a LONG distinguished pedigree. DEEP! Nose indicates power in its delivery of dark fruits and a hint of rose petal and hints of Old Worldliness to it. Full bodied, powerful yet balanced in its acid/tannin/fruit combo resulting in a long finish.

Wines reviewed in 2009: 178

Cinq de Mayo?

Well, didn't hit any of the typical Mexican places for Cinco de Mayo but instead hit one of the local OB joints, The Vine. One recent update, they serve wines in half-glass portions now, allowing for you to taste more without paying more. The food, as always, was great (I tried to get a little "South of the Border" by having Empanadas for dinner). The wines I enjoyed were:

Molitor Riesling 2007: A lovely little Kabinett from the Mosel region in Germany, all peaches and spice with good acidity. Refreshing and a lovely opener with the cheese board.

Vincent Girardin, Rully 1er Cru, 2004: From Germany to France, a nice Burgundy (Chardonnay for those who want the varietal and don't know the AOC rules). Medium to full bodied, good acidity, hints of green apple tartness and yeast, nice finish.

Ca de Rocchi Valpolicella Montere Ripasso: Let's just make it all European with this little Italian. Lovely wine to go with dinner.Bright ruby red in color, hints of prunes and sour cherries with a touch of earthiness. Bright acidity, smooth tannins and a medium finish made this an excellent choice.

Wines reviewed in 2009: 169

Sunday Wine Tasting At Wine Steals

After studying a bit this morning I decided to venture out to Wine Steals in Hillcrest. They have an interesting "leftovers" tasting that provides a pretty good deal if you want to try a large selection of wines for a reasonable price. I like to go before the crowds appear so I can spend a little time in reflection on what it is I am tasting without excess perfume and noise interfering with my concentration and sense of smell. From the wide range of wines available I chose the following:

Chateau St. Martin de la Garrigue 2006 "Bronzinelle": A decent, rustic wine from the Coteaux du Languedoc region of France. The wine gave off hints of oak, cherry, and plum. The temperature was working against it as the alcohol was evaporating at a pretty high rate masking the fruits. Good mouthfeel, chewy tannins and good acidity with a short finish. Not bad, probably would have been a better show at a lower temp.

Jenke 2002 Merlot: From the Languedoc we go to the Barossa Valley in Australia for a nice Merlot. Pretty garnet in color with hints of chocolate, plum, and herbs on the nose. Very dry, good alcohol, dusty tannins and decent fruit. Nice complexity and shows some depth. At its peak.

Rockledge 2003 Primitivo: Now to California, Napa's St. Helena AVA to be more precise for this "hot" little number... and by hot I mean a 15.2% alcohol content that you definitely detect. This deep cherry-red wine is a blend of Primitivo, Petite Sirah, and Cabernet Sauvignon delivering spice, red berry fruits and a little "gaminess" to the nose. Jammy fruits, solid tannins and good acidity helps me overlook the heat I get on the finish. Solid but runs on a little higher octane than I like. They might take a look at Fess Parker to see how to handle the higher alcohol a little better but overall not a bad wine for the bucks.

Domaine des Escaravailles 2007 "Les Sablières": Back to France, this time Cotes du Rhone. Heavily Grenache. Dark ruby with hints of violet. Lots of fruit (good raspberry) and hints of oak and earthiness. Lively acidity and good tannins delivering lots of red berry fruits. Medium/light bodied. Medium finish. An excellent offering for the price.

Jazz 2006 Napa Red Wine: From Branham Winery in Napa we have a lovely blend of Zin, Petite Sirah, Cab, and Syrah. Deep red with hiints of purple. Very fruit-forward (plum and dark fruits), soft tannins, decent acidity. A good "up the middle" wine that should please most people looking for a friendly red wine. While sipping I had a craving for food.

Camponova 2007 Toscana Rosso: This lovely Italian blend was one of my top two (the Jazz being the other) in this tasting. Cherry red in color, light fruity nose. Nice acidity, light bodied, almost tangy. Good tannins and delicious red fruits. Lean, clean, simple and very enjoyable. Should go well with a simple red sauce and pasta or a broiled flank steak.

Wines reviewed in 2009: 166

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

A Bit Of This, A Bit Of That

Went wine tasting at the San Diego Wine Company. This week it was a selection of wines new to the shop. There were some definite hits but a few misses as well:

Luna 2007 "Freakout": Quite an interesting blend of white wine grapes - 7% Ribolla Gialla, 25% Sauvignon Blanc, 33% Pinot Grigio, 35% Chardonnay (wow). Light straw in color, I felt that the Chardonnay over shadowed the other, somewhat lighter grapes. Smokey, toasty and melon were what I picked up most. Not bad, not impressed.

Kunde 2006 "Sonoma Valley" Chardonnay: Again light straw in color, blend of apples, pears, and butter on the nose with decent fruit delivery. Good acid, medium finish. Good everyday kind of Chard and at the price ($9.95) it really could be.

Manu 2008 "Marlborough" Sauvignon Blanc: Nice stone fruits and citrus, hints of herbaceousness, good acidity. A tad tight but nice.

Mont Gras 2007 "Quatro": A Chilean blend of 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Malbec, 25% Syrah and 15% Carmenere, this is a lovely little wine. Deep ruby shading to purple. Nice black currant, cherries, hint of "gaminess" on the nose. A medium bodied wine delivering good fruit and a hint of oak along with balanced acidity and tannins leading to a medium length enjoyable finish.

Eberle 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon: Solid offering by a Paso Robles mainstay (gotta love the pig logo). Nice deep garnet, excellent black fruits and berries on the nose, hints of tobacco and chocolate. Nice mouthfeel and acid/tannin balance. Longish finish, a fine product.

Brassfield 2004 "High Valley" Monte Sereno Zinfandel: From the High Valley appellation just north of Napa comes a nice Zin (currently on sale at SD Wine Company). Deep rich color, fruit-forward nose and nice, good mouthfeel, decent acid/tannin/fruit balance.

Wines reviewed in 2009: 150

Back To Cafe Bleu

My beau and I went to Cafe Bleu for happy hour... great deal on the food and glasses of good wine for $5 each. During this outing I sampled the following:

Valdivieso Sauvignon Blanc, 2007: A pleasant Chilean offering delivering a slightly grassy and citric nose, hints of lime on the tongue combined with a refreshing acidity. Nice opener.

Clos LaChance Zinfandel "Hummingbird Series", 2005: From California's own Central Coast we have a deep cherry-red Zin. Berries, spice (cinnamon?), vanilla on the nose, nice tannin/acid fruit balance with noticeable black fruits and lingering peppery/spicy finish. Somewhat closed out of the bottle, really opened up after about 15 minutes.

Nine Stones Shiraz, 2005: From the Barossa Valley, a pleasant Aussi-style Shiraz. Extremely fruit-forward (dark berries and plum), juicy acidity. Not complex but very drinkable. Finish runs a little hot but can be tempered with some food.

Wines reviewed in 2009: 144

Four Vines Zinfandel Old Vine Cuvee 2006

Last night my love and I spent the evening with Tio Ely and Cory. Tio Ely made dinner, a delicious spaghetti. I brought over a couple of bottles of wine including Four Vines Zinfandel Old Vine Cuvee 2006. The pairing was, I thought, excellent. This fruit-forward wine brought lovely notes of black fruits and spice to the nose while delivering blackberry, plum, and spices to the palate. The flavors combining with smooth tannins and mouthwatering acidity combined with the peppery spiciness of the spaghetti to create a delicious synergy. For $10 a bottle this is a fantastic, food-friendly Zin (and it makes a tasty little drink on its own).

Strangely enough I think it went well with RuPaul's Drag Race too.

Number of wines reviewed in 2009: 141