Ghost Pines Merlot 2006

So here I am at one of my favorite establishments in Hillcrest (some of you might recognize the place from that small bit of background showing through) with my friend Sarah and a bottle of Ghost Pines Merlot 2006. I've reviewed their 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon already and since my varietals review moved into the Merlot grape I thought trying out their offering would be a pleasant experience... and I was right. This wine is clean, deep ruby with a tint of purple, consistent color saturation almost to the rim. The nose is lean, medium-to-medium (+) in intensity with lovely blackberry, black cherry, and just a hint of dusty chocolate on the nose. The wine is dry and delivery a juicy fruit-forward experience with medium (to medium (+)) acidity and very smooth tannins all flowing together to a medium length mouthwatering finish that only wants more.

Number of wines reviewed in 2010: 82

Leonesse Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 "Sperling Cellars"

I've been a fan of Leonesse for a rather long time and it was very convenient that my latest Vineyard Select shipment contained this Cabernet Sauvignon to round out my Cabernet Sauvignon varietal review. This wine was lovely in the class, clern with a medium (+)/ deep intensity ruby with just the slightest touch of purple in the core. The nose is clean with medium/medium (+) intensity cassis, black cerry and some underlying herbaceous notes of eucalyptus and bell pepper. The palate was dry with medium acidity and tannins creating a medium/medium (+) bodied wine with flavors of black fruits and just a hint of sweet oak. Medium length finish with the tannins tightening up just a touch toward the end of the finish. Very, very good now, will probably peak next year as a knock out.

Number of wines reviewed in 2010: 81

Bodega Catena Zapata Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 "Mendoza"

When it comes to Argentinian wines few names stand out like Catena so during my varietal review I selected their 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon as an example of South American, New World styles (The Wine Advocate goes so far as to say "Bodegas Catena-Zapata remains the reference point for Argentina wines" so it seemed like a good choice. The wine was lovely in the glass, clear, deep purplish core with a more ruby-hued color extending to the rim. The nose was clean, medium intensity with blackberry and cassis with just the slightest hint of smoke and cedar. This dry wine is medium bodied with medium to medium (+) acidity, very smooth tannins and juicy fruit (again blackberry and what I got as some black cherry) with a good, medium length finish. All-in-all a nice wine and tough to beat for a solid example of a well priced wine from Argentina.

Number of wines reviewed in 2010: 80

An Interesting Three Way

Three way comparison that is. Given that I am sticking with the Cabernet Sauvignon grape this week I decided to do a little comparison between a local, Alex's Red Barn Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, against the popular Michael Pozzan Cabernet Sauvignon "Knights Valley" 2007 and the well respected Argentina Bodega Catena Zapata Cabernet Sauvignon Mendoza 2007 (which was awarded a 90 by Robert Parker's Wine Advocate and the producer Nicolas Catena was named "Decanter Man of the Year" in 2009). I have to say that in all three main areas: sight, nose, and palate the local Red Barn offering held its own again the larger, better know producers. Visually the two slightly younger wines were a bit darker and had more of a purple tint to them which was to be expected. On the nose the Red Barn Cabernet Sauvignon was a touch more intense and the finish was a little longer (both the Pozzan and Catena were for this reviewer toward the medium (-)/medium length). So for those who are downplaying the local producers I think you really should put out of your mind the fact that Temecula doesn't have any big blockbuster names and instead view it as a place to find some very respectable undiscovered gems.

For the Catena review look to my next posting for the details.

Michael Pozzan Cabernet Sauvignon "Knights Valley" 2007

I've been seeing more and more of Michael Pozzan Winery products in the trades so in kicking off my review for the CSW exam with Bordeaux varietals I thought getting a bottle of the winery's Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 from the Knights Valley AVA (viticultural designation for a region in Sonoma) would be a fun time. Given this AVA is known for Bordeaux varietals (as well as a few Rhone varietals) I had pretty high expectations. The wine was clean, deep ruby-purple with a pretty broad core. The nose was clean, medium (+) intensity of blackberries and cassis with some nice earthiness undertones. So far so good... looks good, smells good. That leaves one more things, taste. The wine is dry, medium acidity and smooth tannins, very juicy in the mouth with some blackberry and what I swear is black cherry. What surprised me was the finish... the fruit seemed to go away pretty rapidly with the overall finish being pretty short (I would call it in WSET terms a medium (-) finish). Now don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad wine, far from it, but I was hoping for a little longer making out after the date.

Number of wines reviewed in 2010: 79

Alex's Red Barn Winery

Today the hubby and I took a trip to our local wine country located in the Temecula AVA. Our first stop was to Alex's Red Barn Winery. This boutique winery is one of my favorites, making wine that the is true to the grape. As I was taught years ago, wine is a reflection of three basic things: "the grape, the ground and the guy" (okay that last bit is a little sexist sounding but that was the quote). In other words, wine is the production of the varietal (or type), the area where it is cultivated (the idea of "terroir", that the wine will have characteristics of where the grape is grown), and the winemaker ("guy", or as I should say, "person") and his or her idea of what the wine is supposed to be. Alex's Red Barn Winery is a wonderful expression of this combination. Alex Yakut, proprietor and winemaker, does a fantastic job of creating clean, grape and ground expressed wines that are consistently high quality and today's tasting was no exception. Below are the wines that we tasted and my notes in WSET format.

Old-vine Johannisberg Riesling 2009: Clean, clear, light colored lemony tinted in color. The nose was clean, light (+) intensity with hints of petroleum, peaches and apricot creating a lovely aroma. With a touch of residual sugar the wine is off-dry, medium (-) bodied , medium to medium (+) acidity with nice stone fruits coming together to deliver a refreshing, medium length finish.

Old-vine Sauvignon Blanc 2009: Clear and clean with light greenish-yellow hue. Clean nose, medium (-) to medium intensity of grassy honeysuckle and gooseberries and just a touch of wet slate. In the mouth one gets a clean, medium bodied wine of medium (+) acidity, grassy citrus flavors and good mineral on the finish. This wine shows excellent structure and balance.

White Cabernet Sauvignon 2009: This is a lovely summer wine, clean and light (+) salmon-colored hue in the glass. The nose has a lovely light floral fragrance with hints of cherry and strawberry. The wine is off-dry, a touch of residual sugar combining with medium acidity and a bright strawberry and cherry forward finish that lengthens to a dry, lip smacking finish at the end.

Grenache 2008: This is a relative newcomer to the Red Barn Winery lineup and quite a lovely one. Clean, medium intensity ruby in the glass with a smallish core but good uniform intensity to the rim. The nose was clean, medium intensity aroma of cherry, touch of black currant and just the slight hint of sweet smoke. On the palate the wine is dry, medium intensity and tannins with lovely bright black cherry all coming together to a surprisingly medium (+) length finish with lingering fruity tannins.

Cabernet Sauvignon 2006: Cabernet Sauvignon is a classic wine from a classic grape and what you get here is a fine expression of a New World Cab. The wine is clear with medium (+) intensity that is ruby to garnet in the glass with a nice uniform color bleed to the rim. The nose is clean with bits of smoke, black cherries, black currant and just a touch of green peppers. The palate comes off dry with excellent medium to medium (+) acidity and tannins, black cherry, black currant, a touch of smokey raspberry blending to a medium to medium (+) finish that ends with just the slight hint of minerality.

Syrah: The Red Barn Winery Syrah is clear, medium (+) intensity with a small, deep core with good color to the rim. The nose is clean, smokey black curreant and hints of black pepper. The wine is medium to medium (+) bodied with medium to medium (+) tannins, medium acidity, black fruits and peppery spices providing for a medium (+) length strong finish. This wine could lay down another year for a little more tannin softening but quite fine was it is.

Cream Sherry: The Red Barn Winery is the only place in Temecula I know that makes this type of sherry. This is an "oloroso" style sherry meaning it is produced by a method of oxidative aging producing a darker colored, so this is a sweetened sherry having the color, nose, taste of a nutty butterscotch and caramel. You can almost think of it like a fortified liquid brittle or less-sweet "Sugar Daddy" candy. Lovely.

Number of wines reviewed in 2010: 78

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