A Couple Of Old Friends: Curtis Crossroads and Leonesse Melange de Reves

As the weather gets cooler my palate yearns more and more for red elements (but don't worry white lovers, there will more postings of those lovely wines as well). But cooler weather makes me think of the reds of Bordeaux, but perhaps even more these days the Rhone-styles. I pulled out two old friends to help with this transition, both from Southern California. The first is the lovely little 2006 Melange de Reves from Leonesse Cellars in Temecula. This wine is a blend of Syrah, Cinsault, Mourvedre, and Grenache that produces a medium body wine of fantastic aroma and taste. The nose hints at pepper, spice, berries and just a touch of tobacco ina warming combination perfect for my balcony-sitting in the evening. The taste is well balanced with a nice little touch of heat, good fruit, firm but not demanding tannins and good acidity that yields a nice medium-length finish.

Continuing with the same theme I decided to open a bottle of Curtis Winery's 2005 The Crossroad - Santa Ynez Valley. This tasty offering is another Rhone-style blend, this time of Grenache and Syrah. Curtis is a Rhone-style specialist boutique winery in the best sense of the word. From the get-go the nose is teased with clove, black fruits, and just a touch of sandalwood. I swear I spend quite a minutes just letting the aroma linger before even tasting. On the palate we get lovely black cherries and vanilla with fine acidity and good tannins that carry the event to a tasty lingering finish.

Wines reviewed in 2009: 214

Battling Pinots At WineSellar

Saturday for lunch I decided to attend the wine tasting at The WineSellar and Brasserie, Pinot Noir "taste-off" between Sonoma and Oregon. It looked delicious on the announcement and I was not disappointed. For a pairing I selected the braised pork which was fantastic. Since the tasting was blind I will post my notes in the order poured and give the name of the wine after each note.

Wine 1: Light, "cherry red" in color. Light nose, slightly floral with cherry and raspberry notes. Fine acid/fruit bend, lighter bored. enough tannins to help create a longer finish than expected. Excellent with the braised pork! William Selyem 2007, Russian River Valley

Wine 2: Deeper in color than the first wine. Violets and blueberries on the nose, hint of cola here. Light bodied, nice blend but not as pleasing for me as wine #1. A littler shorter finish but there was some enhancement of taste with the braised pork. Merry Edwards, 2007, Russian River Valley

Wine 3: Red with hint of violet in color. Nose brings hints of earth and coffee along with red fruit. A little more dry than the first two wines. Not thrilled with the finish and no real synergy for me with the meal. Et Fille 2007, Willamette Valley

Wine 4: More deeply colored than wine 1. Big cola, vanilla, and fruit on the nose with lovely notes of spice. Bigger tannins than the other three but not overpowering. Excellent with the braised pork. Hartford Court 2006, Fog Dance Vineyard, Russian River Valley

Wine 5: Back to slightly deeper cherry red. Pretty nose full of cherries, berries, hints of herbs and earthiness that I love. Lovely mouthfeel, a bit fuller than the others but not at all flabby. Fine acid/fruit/tannin combo making for an excellent finish. Blends well with the lunch, my favorite thus far. Dusky Goose 2006, Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley

Wine 6: Deepest red of the six. Cola, violets, maybe blueberries and nuts on the nose, quite a pretty blend. Lovely, lively mouthfeel, medium finish. Works quite well with lunch. Cristom 2004, Eileen Vineyard, Willamette Valley

So at the end of the day I would say that the 2006 Dusky Goose (Oregon) and the 2007 Williams Selyem (Sonoma) were my favorites but it's hard to go wrong with any of these beautiful Pinots.

Wines tasted in 2009: 212

Alamos Malbec 2007 - Almost A Year Later

Well, in November of 2008 I posted a review of Alamos Malbec 2007. Looking for something to sip tonight I happened across another bottle in the cooler and thought "Why not?" The wine is still an inky black in appearance with lovely legs as I swirl the nectar around in the Riedel. The nose has a strong black fruit component as well as hints of leather, tobacco and a touch of earthy spice. The wine is still on the lighter side of medium, lovely balance of fruit and acidity with just a hint of tannin to come together in a short/medium finish that is very pleasing. So one year later I can still recommend this inexpensive yet lovely little wine.

Wines reviewed in 2009: 206

We're Back... And With A Missouri Wine

Thanks for sticking with me folks, it's been a hectic few months with family problems, reorgs at work, and then finishing up my thesis for a master's program. But now I'm back and ready to make up for lost ground.

Tonight's little gem hails from my home state of Missouri. Yes, wine from Missouri, and if you've read any of my past posts about Missouri wines you'll know that they turn out some pretty danged good stuff (why, a Missouri wine won the "Judgment of Ocean Beach" contest we had earlier). Montelle Winery lies in the area that was was the first AVA (America's way of denoting geographic locations of grape growing), Augusta. If you've never been I highly recommend a trip to and through the Missouri wine region that hugs the banks of the Missouri River, it is both charming and breathtaking in it's beauty.

This wine is made with the Chambourcin grape, a hybrid that has shown to be particularly resistant to fungus infections. It has a fairly wide growing area in the midwest and eastern United States was well as some areas in France and Australia. The wine I poured tonight was of a deep cherry red color. After a few swirls around the glass I was greeted by the aroma of blackberries, a touch of cherry, a little "woody vanilla", and I would swear just a hint of smoke (though that could just be the pollutants of LA County burning but since it's pleasant I'll attribute it to the wine). The wine is medium bodied and dry but not puckeringly so. There is a good acid/fruit balance with enough tannin to support but not overwhelm. On the tongue I get red fruits (cherries prominent) and spice. There is a certain overall "rustic-ness" to the wine which is pleasant, all coming together in a medium length finish. If you're looking for something different to have with your BBQ I would say give this wine a shot.

Wines reviewed in 2009: 205

Wow...

It's been over a month since I reviewed something for y'all. Between work and school I have been swamped but bear with me, I should have something up for you soon.

Hugs,

Michael

2007 Foley Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir

Today is a day for me to celebrate. I got the results back from my comprehensive exam and passed with high honors (yeah me). To celebrate I opened a lovely bottle of Pinot Noir, my lone bottle of Foley 2007 Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills and opened a Fuente Opus X Cigar. Obviously I tasted the wine (well, "tasted" a glass) before smoking the cigar. The wine is absolutely lovely (Wine Enthusiast gave it a 92). The color is a beautiful deep cherry red hinting at what is to come. On the nose hints of cherry, cranberry and a touch of cola. The wine is a medium-light body, lovely mouthfeel and my salivary glands worked overtime. The fruit was "bright", making the wine seem a little light but lovely with soft tannins combining with the other parts to create a medium-length finish that brings a touch of spice into the mix. Perfect for an evening like this.

Number of wines reviewed in 2009: 204

Two New From Leonesse

On a quick trip to Temecula I made my obligatory stop at Leonesse Cellars and was presented with a couple of new offerings that I had to write about. The first was their 2005 Port, a wonderful Port-style wine made from 100% Cinsault. This newest addition to their Port-style family was delicious. There is a wonderful "raisiny" nose hinting at the richness of the wine to come. This port is smooth, creamy, fruit driven (blackberry, black cherry) with hints of dark chocolate. The other was a barrel draw of their 2007 Syrah, deep purple in color with a nose of smoke, tobacco, dark fruits and spice. This is a very dry, very young offering but the structure is there to make an excellent offering to watch for when it hits the marke

Number of wines reviewed in 2009: 203