 The ultimate pleasure in wine, finding a wine you love that punches way about its price tag! While not easy, there are some good guidelines to help make fewer mistakes. For wines less than $5/bottle, these are generally industrially made wines, most of which taste exactly the same, regardless of grape varieties used. There aren’t many great value finds in this category, and if it’s your price range, “Two Buck Chuck” is pretty well made for the price. In the $5-10 range, if you know the exact wine (winery, vintage, type of wine) you can get some good values, especially from regions with lower costs of production like Chile and Argentina. Especially in years where production is high, wineries may “declassify” some wine, putting better juice into their lower priced wines to keep production of the higher priced wines limited. Step it up another level, and in the $10-15 range, there are a number of terrific wines made by reputable, larger producers around the world. They can make good value wines year in and out. Examples include E Guigal’s Cote du Rhone (France) and Bodega Weinert’s Carrascal (Argentinean red blend). Another step up to the $15-25 range and there are often entire regions, mostly up and coming, or less popular grape varietals that consistently produce quality wines for reasonable prices. Some of the everyday drinking wines in Piedmonte, Italy (Barbera and Dolcetto) and Syrah tend to be lower priced, but great wines. Cerasuolo di Vittoria from Sicily, Rioja from Spain, and Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc are great examples of regions where many wines in the $15-25/bottle price point are consistently good.
 In an attempt to discover some great value wines, we used these principles to taste some Barberas from Piedmonte, Argentinean Malbecs, and a couple of Riojas (based on the Tempranillo grape). With wines ranging from $8 - $20, many of the wines were decent values. Most of the group’s favorite and the best value was Mapema’s Malbec from Argentina at $15. A lot of folks also like Vina Herminia’s Rioja Reserva, the most expensive wine at $20/bottle.
Here are the wines we tried and the tasting notes:
2008 Terra di Vino “La Luna” Barbera d’Asti Superiore - $15– 2* - a dark red cherry nose with sweet, juicy red cherry flavors and a bit of spice
2009 Michele Chiarlo “Le Orme” Barbera d’Asti - $11 – 2*- slightly earthy, black cherry nose with a palate of spicy cherry and a touch of cedar
2005 Vina Herminia Rioja Reserva - $20 – 2.5* - sweet, bright strawberries with a touch of pepper and spice on the nose with a straw, earthy palate that has ample acidity and tannin
2004 Ondarre Rioja Reserva - $14 – 2* - a light, dusty nose with straw, earth, and cranberry flavors and good acidity
2011 Elsa Bianchi Malbec, Mendoza - $8 – 1.5* - big purple fruit, a sweet, fruity wine with a bit of an acidic bite on the finish
2009 Mapema Malbec, Mendoza - $15 – 3* - salty, floral, and black fruit aromas which lead to a nice, floral, black fruit, and spicy palate
 Perched atop a mountain in Mendocino, the Eaglepoint Ranch vineyard consistently creates memorable Syrahs with a meaty, savory quality to them. They had their own label, which produced a lighter style wine, but of tremendous value. Unfortunately, the winery was a casualty of the recession. Copain has sourced grapes from the vineyard for years and made a stunning Syrah of great age-ability, intensity, and flavor. This too has been discontinued as Copain moves towards more self-owned and long-term contracted vineyards. Such a shame given the quality of the wines, proven by a recent library tasting of the wines, tasting notes below:
2003 Copain Eaglepoint Ranch Vineyard Syrah, Mendocino - $40– 4.5* - dark, brownish red color with a deep, meaty, savory smell mixed with a bit of forest brush, still tastes sweet and black with bacon fat, leather, and blackberries, an awesome wine
2005 Eaglepoint Ranch Syrah, Mendocino - $22 – 3.5* - a light, meaty nose with a fresh, peppery, savory palate, a well put together wine
2007 Copain Eaglepoint Ranch Vineyard Syrah, Mendocino - $40– 3* - a modest, herbal, savory nose with deep blue and black fruit with pepper and earth, still young and opened up with time
 A chance to connect with the winemakers and others at the winery, to try the latest releases and often library wines, and a great excuse to head up to wine country, winery pick-up parties are a fun way to save a little on shipping, try the range of wines to know which ones you want to buy, and an opportunity to share your favorite wineries with your friends. Sometimes the timing can get tricky as they may land on the same day, as happened this spring for both Failla in Napa and Williams Seylem in Sonoma, though Williams Seylem has a full pick-up party weekend. The drive between them is about an hour, but at least it’s offset by scenic views along Hwy 128 driving through Knights Valley, which connects Calistoga to Healdsburg.
 Failla Pick-up Party, Saint Helena (Napa)On a hot day, Failla wisely set up shop inside its caves, where it was nice and cool. They coupled their current releases with several pairs of library wines as well as barrel samples. All tied together with excellent food pairings that helped work through the thirteen wines they made available to taste. Some of their newer wines from the Hudson Vineyard were exciting and some of the best of the tasting, while the library wines from the Occidental Ridge vineyard showcased their ability to age. Here are some of the wines tasted: 2010 Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast Estate - $44 – 3* - vanilla and citrus nose, a minerally, stone fruit palate with a touch of melon 2010 Chardonnay, Hudson Vineyard, Napa Valley - $50 – 3.5* -a light, soft nose with layered, soft citrus flavors with a tough of pepper, a very unique, interesting wine 2010 Pinot Noir, Keefer Ranch, Russian River Valley - $45 –3.5* - deep, rich, spicy berry nose with earthy, mushroom, and black cherries on the palate 2010 Syrah, Hudson Vineyard, Napa Valley - $56 – 4* - dark, inky nose, lavender, pepper, black licorice, and leather flavors immerse themselves together 2010 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast - $34 – 3* - rich, lush, dark, black cherry nose with a leafy, twig, and cherry palate 2007 Pinot Noir, Occidental Ridge Vineyard, Sonoma Coast -$75 – 3* - a bright, blackberry and currant nose with a touch of spices, leafy, light black licorice and spice on the palate 2006 Pinot Noir, Occidental Ridge Vineyard, Sonoma Coast -$75 – 3.5* - a lovely leafy, earthy, blackberry nose with a touch of cinnamon and herbs, a cool, blackberry and plum palate
 Williams Seylem Pick-up Party, Healdsburg (Sonoma)
A “cult” producer of Pinot Noir, Williams Seylem has the production levels and reputation to draw big crowds. That’s evidenced by their pick-up weekend, where many travel far and wide to attend, and lasts a whole weekend – Friday through Sunday. Outside in tents with pouring stations, vendors sampling their wares (food, olive oil, cheese, etc…), they needed fans to keep people…and the wine…at reasonable temperatures. Eight of the newly released wines were tasted, with the benchmark Westside Road rising to the top as usual. 2010 Chardonnay, Unoaked, Russian River Valley - $37 – 3* - a deep, yeasty nose with a balanced stone fruit palate 2010 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast - $46 – 3.5* - lovely baking spices, floral, and herbal nose with a violet and floral palate 2010 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley - $46 – 3.5* - a bit hot, but a nice purple, lavender nose with root beer, plums, and spice on the palate 2010 Pinot Noir, Westside Road Neighbors, Russian River Valley - $68 – 4* - forest, herbs, flowers, and red berries on the nose with a lovely, silky, raspberry fruit palate with big tannins and acidity, for the cellar 2009 Zinfandel, Forchini Vineyard “South Knoll”, Russian River Valley - $50 – 4* - a lush, deep blackberry, jammy nose with violets, sweet spices, and loads of berries on the palate
West Paso, with its concentration of wineries and tasting rooms tends to get most of the praise, and the visitor foot traffic, but there are plenty of worthwhile places to explore east of the 101 Freeway. Many of these are smaller, more rustic venues and some require appointments. Don’t let that deter you, as you’ll be missing out on some of the region’s most interesting and extraordinary wines, some terrific values. More farm country and less touristy, in East Paso you’re more likely to have a conversation with the owners, who are also the winemakers, who are also the vineyard managers. Southeast Paso, south of downtown Paso and east of the 101, certainly fits this mold with a few spaced out wineries that are as much farms as they are wineries, but producing some fantastic Rhone and Mediterranean varietals (Spanish and Italian) in the hotter inland area (West Paso being closer to the ocean).
 Ambyth Estate (by appt only; ~1000 cases) Sitting atop a hillside with stunning views of Paso Robles, this fully functional farm, complete with chickens, cows, honey bees, olive trees, fruit trees, and, oh yeah, vineyards hand crafts some amazing biodynamic and organic wines, primarily from Rhone varietals (Syrah, Mourvedre, Grenache, Counoise, and others). Personal attention from Mary and Phil, the owners and operators (read: farmers), is the norm and the wines are intricate, complex, and just superb. 2010 “Priscus” (White Rhone blend) - $45 – 3* - a lovely honeyed, floral nose, a slightly creamy, citrus, honeyed pear palate 2010 Viognier - $28 – 3* - a nice floral, honeyed nose with a touch of melon, palate is nice, smooth, and fleshy 2009 “Playground” (GSM blend) - $45 – 3.5* - a beautiful herbal cherry nose with cherry and herbs and a touch of spice on the palate, with good integrated tannins and acidity 2009 Sangiovese - $45 – 3.5* - a lovely earthy, red cherry nose with a pure, sweet cherry palate 2010 Mourvedre, Mark’s Vineyard - $45 – 4* - a salty, seaweed nose with pepper, black, tar and olive palate 2010 Mourvedre, StoneCross Vineyard - $45 – 4* - a dark, olive nose with a beautiful dark blackberry, olive, and spice palate 2010 Bailey Zinfandel - $38 – 4* - deep, dark, yet light and spicy nose, smells more like Syrah than Zin, a lovely pepper, spice and herbal palate
 Bella Luna (no tasting fee; 1,900 cases) Fighter pilot memorabilia adorns the tasting room run by the couple who own the winery. Dry farming and minimal intervention of primarily Italian varietals is their thing and it has been paying dividends. Many of the other visitors were regulars, intent on buying more wine and re-filling their cellars, even without tasting it. 2009 “Piccolo Bianco” Dry Muscat - $22 – 2.5* - floral, honey blossom nose, a lightly sweet palate with a dry finish 2009 “Lot One” Barbera - $38 – 3* - very dark, opaque color, a deep dark cherry nose, a cool, dark black cherry and herbal palate with big tannins 2008 “Estate Riserva” Super Tuscan blend (Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon) - $45 – 2.5* - a big, herbal nose with some light bell pepper, a big body, but mild flavors of pepper, spice, and a touch of leather 2010 “Fighter Pilot Red” Zinfandel - $35 – 3.5* - a deep, cool pepper, herb, and spice nose, with blue and black fruits interwoven with spices and herbs, a complex and brooding wine, a thinker's Zin
 Victor Hugo (by appt only; 4k cases) A friendly, small, family winery making mostly classic Paso Robles varietals – Zinfandel, Cab, and Petite Sirah. The Port “Quasi” (after Quasimoto) is a winner. Tasting room doubles as the barrel room, so a pleasant break from the heat outdoors (if you like it cool). 2011 “Les Mis” Rose - $18 – 2* - a bright strawberry nose with a sweet tart, candy strawberry palate 2009 Petite Sirah - $22 – 2.5* - a dark, black, sweet spice nose with a spicy dark fruit palate with big tannins 2009 “Quasi” Port, Late Harvest Zinfandel - $32 – 2.5* - deep, raisiny nose with a lush, sweet, viscous palate
Heading west off the 101 towards the ocean, Highway 46W is the main drag for West Paso Robles winery tasting rooms. Over twenty tasting rooms dot the highway or are a short hop from it, making it an easy tasting day whether you’re staying in downtown Paso Robles or closer to the coast in San Simeon, Cambria, or Morro Bay. The beautiful hills on both sides of the highway add to a scenic day of excellent Paso wines.
 Edward Sellers ($10 tasting fee) A comfortable, modern feeling tasting room serving different Rhone varietal blends. The wines were a bit pricey for the quality. 2009 Viognier - $29 – 2* - a nice, orange blossom, floral nose with a clean, tart palate 2007 “Cognito” (Mourvedre, Zin, Syrah, Grenache) - $37 – 2*- shows the Zin on the nose with spicy berries, a tart red cranberry palate 2007 Syrah Selectionnel - $40 – 2.5* - a nice dark spice and pepper nose, a bit hot, with a cool, black earth palate
 Epoch Estate ($10 tasting fee, refunded with 2 bottle purchase; ~1,500 cases) A new, modern, yet country tasting room, where the old York Mountain winery once stood, Epoch turns out high class, polished wines in rather small quantities. They don’t come cheap though… 2009 “Sensibility” (a GSM blend) - $55 – 3.5* - a lovely spice, blueberry, and pepper nose with sweet spices, cinnamon, and lightly lavender palate 2009 “Estate Blend” (Syrah, Grenache, Tempranillo, Zinfandel, Mourvedre) - $40 – 3* - a salty, meaty nose with pepper, spice, and black licorice on the palate 2009 “Veracity” (GSM) - $55 – 3.5* - vanilla and blue fruit with sweet spices on the nose with sweet vanilla, blueberries and pepper on the palate
 Kenneth Volk ($10 tasting fee with glass, waived with 2 bottle purchase; ~10k cases) A longtime wine industry veteran of the Paso Robles area, Kenneth Volk is best known for his Pinot Noirs. However, the tasting room showcased many different, interesting varietals like Malvasia, Touriga, and Mourvedre to keep things interesting. Sharing space with Lone Madrone and Fat Cat Farms doesn’t hurt to make it a complete stop. 2011 Malvasia Bianca, San Berube Vineyard - $24 – 2* - a lightly honeyed white flower nose with a lightly sweet and spicy palate with a spicy, slightly hot finish 2009 Touriga, Pomar Junction - $36 – 3* - sweet, spiced fruit on the nose with sweet twigs with red fruit and spice 2009 Mourvedre, Enz Vineyard - $36 – 2.5* - cinnamon and nutmeg on the nose with a cool, but a little flat on the palate
 Lone Madrone ($10 tasting fee with glass, waived with 3 bottle purchase; 3k cases) A quirky, animal art filled tasting room that showcases the unique and interesting wines of Lone Madrone, who’s owner/winemaker, Neil Collins, is also the winemaker at Tablas Creek. Uncommon varietals (Picpoul Blanc, Tannat, Nebbiolo) are poured side by side with interesting blends, at fairly decent pricing for the high quality of the wines. 2009 “La Mezcla” (Grenache Blanc) - $22 – 2.5* - citrusy, banana nose with a light, sweet and fresh citrus palate 2008 “Points West Red” (Mourvedre, Syrah) - $28 – 3* - dark, purple, pepper nose with a thick, rich, pepper and black earth palate 2008 “The Will” (Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Grenache) - $33 –3.5* - dark spice, earth, and leather on the nose with a dark, sweet, spicy, bold palate 2006 Nebbiolo - $25 – 3* - strawberry, rhubarb, and lightly floral nose with a smooth, straw, tart cherry palate
 Shale Oak ($7 tasting fee including glass, waived with purchase; ~1,500 cases) With a focus on sustainability, from the tasting room architecture and appliances, to the wine itself, Shale Oak is a new winery looking to establish itself with some decent, well priced sustainable wines. 2010 Albarino - $15 – 2.5* - a light citrus and banana nose with a nice, crisp, tropical palate 2010 “Sui” (Viognier, Pinot Grigio, Albarino) - $19 – 2.5* -tropical, lightly floral nose with a creamy, supple palate, bit of face cream taste 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon - $17 – 2* - spice and bell pepper nose with a sweet berry and spice palate, a bit acidic 2008 “Ku” (Petit Sirah, Syrah, Zinfandel, Grenache) - $35 –2.5* - a nice, sweet spice nose, but a bit hot, lightly sweet, tart berry palate
 Why change a formula that works? The Turley pick up parties are a classic, terrific wines, including some library wines and barrel tastings, paired with food from the wood oven, live music, and a birds of prey education tour. The word must be getting out, as there is now a limit of 2 people per mailing list member with additional guests at $25 per person. The wines are still the benchmark for Zinfandel in California, showcasing a balance of power with Zinfandel spiciness and berry fruits, as well as several excellent dark, deep, and inky Petite Sirahs. Well worth a stop if you’re planning on visiting the Paso Robles region and certainly on the top of any Zinfandel lover’s list to be on the mailing list. Here were some of the wines tasted during the pick-up party: 2009 Pesenti Vineyard Zinfandel - $40 – 3* - a bright raspberry and blackberry nose with a silky, lightly sweet spiced raspberry palate 2010 Dusi Vineyard Zinfandel - $48 – 4* - a rich, baking spice, blackberry, and plum nose with a smooth, silky, and rich texture with some currants and black fruits on the palate 2011 Pesenti Vineyard Zinfandel - $40 – 4* - a lush, sweet, black licorice and pepper nose with a big pepper palate that is smooth like dark velvet 2009 Pesenti Vineyard Petite Sirah - $38 – 4* - a lovely, black pepper, earth, and jam nose with a lightly sweet, deep palate with well integrated tannins
A Littorai pick up appointment is almost always followed by a visit to Freestone Vineyards and the Wild Flour Bakery in Occidental for their amazing fougasse, sticky buns, and other breads. That’s enough for a great day, but why stop there? The wineries in downtown Santa Rosa have banded together for what they call the “Santa Rosa Wine Trail”, which provides free tastings and a tasting stamp card that when completed enters you into a drawing for a case of wine for $1. Santa Rosa is also on the way back to the 101 from the Occidental/Sebastopol area, so pretty convenient all around.
 D’Argenzio (2-3k cases; $10 tasting fee, $6 for a glass, free with Santa Rosa tasting card) The ‘godfather’of the Santa Rosa wine center, the tasting room is a quaint setup with a faux-Italianate décor. The wines are leave a bit to be desired. 2006 Petite Sirah, RRV - $32 – 1.5* - a spicy, musty nose with a very acidic, red palate 2006 Old Vine Cherry Block Pinot Noir, RRV - $35 – 1.5* - a dusty, sour cherry nose, a bit sour and acidic
 Freestone Vineyards ($10 tasting fee) Owned by Joseph Phelps in Napa, Freestone makes very “Napa style” Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from the Sonoma Coast. The wines are in a big style and well-made if you enjoy the style. The tasting area is nicely appointed in a modern country style and often accommodates a seated tasting with friendly staff. 2010 Ovation Chardonnay - $45 – 3* - a bit of a mineral, copper nose with a sweet vanilla and pear palate with big wood tannins 2010 Freestone Chardonnay - $55 – 3* - slightly yeasty, citrus nose with a bit of noticeable alcohol and a sweet, vanilla fruit palate 2009 Fogdog Pinot Noir - $35 – 3* - a leafy blackcurrant and plum nose with a spicy, pepper, and floral palate 2009 Freestone Pinot Noir - $55 – 3.5* - a deep, leafy, cherry fruit nose with a touch of spice and a deep, cool, sweet black cherry and tea palate with big tannins
 Littorai (4-5k cases) The “godfather” of Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir, consistently makes excellent, age worthy Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the coast and Anderson Valley. Tastings are always very personal, friendly, knowledgeable and never snooty and pick up appointments accompany some library wines, which are always testaments to Littorai wines’ ability to age gracefully. 2010 May’s Canyon Chardonnay - $60 – 3* - a sweet, vanilla nose with a bit of citrus, with a nice, tart palate with a bit of minerality 2001 May’s Canyon Chardonnay - $60 – 4* - a lovely nutty, citrus nose with a caramel, nutty, honey palate with beautiful balance and good acidity and length 2011 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir - $38 – 3.5* - a deep nose of red forest cherries and twigs, violets and dark cherries on the palate 2009 Savoy Vineyard, Anderson Valley Pinot Noir - $60 – 3.5*- a deep raspberry and blackberry nose with a bit of spice, twigs, and a tart cherry palate 2008 Platt Vineyard, Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir - $65 – 4* - a strong, lightly herbal, cherry nose with a deep, beautiful dark cherry and blackberry palate
 Robert Rue (500 cases; $5 tasting fee, tasting free with SR tasting card) A friendly, small, family winery focusing on Zinfandel, primarily grape growers who are making a foray into wine. 2010 Sauvignon Blanc - $22 – 2* - a big grassy nose with limey and gooseberries on the palate 2009 Wood Road Reserve Zinfandel, RRV - $32 – 2* - woodsy, lightly spiced nose with a spicy palate 2010 Late Harvest Zinfandel - $24 (1/2 bottle) – 3* - purple, black opaque color with a jammy dark nose and sweet blackberry jam palate
 Sheldon/Krutz Wines (Sheldon is 700 cases; tasting free with SR tasting card) A quaint, warehouse style winery and tasting room for two wineries, quite the bargain. Both wineries offer solid, small production wines, many from notable vineyards. 2007 Sheldon Sleepy Hollow Vineyard Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands - $36 – 3* - a nice, nutty, lightly citrus nose with lush, vanilla, lightly tropical flavors 2007 Sheldon Pinot Noir, Marin Coast - $28 – 3* - a light, red cherry nose with floral, red cranberry flavors, a light and soft wine 2007 Sheldon Petite Sirah “Deviant Velocity” - $28 – 3* - a spiced, black nose with a smooth, layered blackberry and pepper palate with well integrated tannins 2008 Krutz Syrah, Stagecoach Vineyard, Napa - $38 – 2.5* - a lovely black cherry and black berry nose, a bit of a hot, spiced palate 2007 Krutz Cabernet Sauvignon, Stagecoach Vineyard, Napa -$60 – 3* - spice, light bell pepper, and leather notes on the nose with a nice, spice, tobacco, and leather palate
 Traditionally known for good value wines with its warm, dry climate, Chile has traditionally been all about the Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc. Carmenere, often mistaken for Merlot (or marketed as) in the past, is Chile’s attempt to capture a national identity, but can be better in its original use in Bordeaux – a blending grape, instead of as a varietal wine. However, the variety of wine in Chile, and the quality of that diversity, has been growing by leaps and bounds with Chardonnay, Sauvignon Gris, Syrah, and Pinot Noir taking off in many of the cooler climate areas.
A recent tasting of Chilean wines in the $15-25/bottle range showed wines that were nice and pure, but relatively simple. They represented fair value for money, with the single varietal wines outperforming the blends, but nothing stood out as a must buy, thought the Tabali Syrah and Pinots would be great weekday dinner wines. These wines aren’t built for aging either, so enjoy them as young,
everyday wines. Here are the wines we tried:
2006 Vina Maquis “Lien” (blend of Syrah, Carmenere, Cab Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec) - $15 – 2* - strong, blackcurrant fruit nose, follows onto palate, but a bit of an alcoholic finish
2008 Clos Ouvert “Huaso” Pais (a native Chilean grape), Maule Valley - $25 – 1* - browning edges, smells and looks aged and oxidized, a spicy, red, bit oxidized palate
2009 Tabali Syrah, Reserva, Limari Valley - $15 – 2.5* - a minty, blackcurrant nose, with a slightly earthy, tobacco, black fruit, and pepper palate
2009 Tabali Pinot Noir, Reserva Especial, Limari Valley - $18 – 2.5* - lightly earthy, forest red cherry nose with a straightforward palate of dark red cherries
2008 Primus “The Blend” (Cab Sauv, Syrah, Carmenere, Merlot), Veramonte - $15 – 2* - a leafy, pepper and black fruit nose, with a bit of a bland, tobacco palate
 For my friend Greg’s 60th birthday at Bistro Moulin in Monterey, he raided the cellar to share aged comparisons of Old World (all from France) versus New World (California, Australia) wines. It was surprisingly difficult to tell which wines were Old World versus New World, most often because many of the New World wines did not age gracefully and tasted a bit tired and old. That said, the prices of the French wines were significantly higher than any from California or Australia. It was impossible not to feel blessed and have a great time with good food, friends, and amazing wine all night long.
 Chardonnay: Edge – New World
While the Burgundy was classic, the Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay was perhaps the best Chardonnay I’ve ever had, with an unbelievably long finish.
2002 Vincent Girardin, Rully, Premier Cru, La Pucelle, Burgundy - $100 – 3* - a nutty, tropical fruit nose with a bit of butter and lemon, stone fruit flavors with well integrated, but still lively acidity, a balanced and round wine
2000 Talbott Diamond T Estate Chardonnay, Monterey - $45 –1.5* - Honeyed, clearly old wine, a golden color with an oxidized and light flavor
2001 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay, Margaret River, Western Australia - $80 – 4.5* - a greenish tinged color with a lime and green apple nose, nice taut acidity on top of a lemon and apple palate and an incredibly long finish, one of the best Chardonnays I've tasted
Pinot Noir: Edge – New World
It’s not that top rated Burgundy isn’t amazing…it’s just that for the price, you expect life changing…and California and Oregon can deliver some amazing Pinots, not cheap, but much cheaper than Burgundy.
2000 Mongeard-Mugneret Grand Echezeaux, Grand Cru, Burgundy- $150 – 3.5* - a distinct blackcurrant leaf and earthy nose, with leafy, cedar, red currant fruit, develops into more classic cherry pinot flavors
2006 Cobb Diane Cobb: Coastlands Vineyard, Sonoma Coast - $65 – 4* - a deep Pinot nose of dark red cherry, with a deep, rich, dark cherry palate, very well balanced
2003 Sineann Medici Vineyard, Willamette Valley, Oregon - $33 – 3.5* - a dark maroon color with a deep, black cherry nose, dark cherry fruit, some mushrooms and a bit of pepper and spice
2008 Pisoni Estate, Santa Lucia Highlands, CA - $65 – 3* - an opaque wine with a baked, stewed cherry nose, and a palate of smooth, deep black cherry flavors
Red Rhone Varietals (Syrah, Grenache, Mourvedre): Edge – Old World
The Rhone Valley in France makes incredible wines, mostly without the astronomical prices of Bordeaux and Burgundy.
2005 Marilyn Remark Wild Horse Vineyard Grenache, Monterey, CA - $45 – 1.5* - bit of funk, reductive, port like on the nose, with oxidized black fruits
2007 Vignoble Brunier Gigondas, Les Pallieres, Terrasses du Diable, Southern Rhone, France - $30 – 3.5* - earthy, black fruit and spice, some herbs on the nose, a nice, cool, earthy, pepper, and black fruit palate
2008 Olson Ogden Stagecoach Vineyard Syrah, Napa, CA - $50 –3* - a vanilla, oaky, spiced nose, with a strong vanilla, spice palate, a very stylized wine
Cabernet Sauvignon: Edge – New World
This may be personal taste preference, not having ever been a huge fan of Bordeaux, but value and flavor always seemed better from New World Cabs to me.
2001 Pine Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap, Napa, CA - $60– 3* - a vanilla, oak nose with a smooth, vanilla, black fruit palate
2000 Chateau Pichon-Longueville, Paulliac Cru Classe, Bordeaux - $250 – 3* - some band aids and cedar on the nose with a cool, smooth palate
2003 Paradigm Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville, Napa, CA - $65 –3.5* - nose a bit hot, but with nice vanilla and cedar notes, a smooth, olive, and menthol palate
A Sweet Finish – German Auslese Rieslings
German Rieslings are classic wines, with varying level of sweetness; Auslese is the third level of sweetness, above Spatlese (slightly sweet) and Kabinett (lightly sweet).
2007 Joh Jos Prum Riesling Wehlener Sonnenuhr, Auslese, Mosel, Germany - $100 – 3.5* - a petrol and dried apricot nose with a touch of honey, a sweet, honey palate with some nice peach and light plum flavors
2001 Monchhoff Robert Eymael Riesling Erdener Treppchen Auslese, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany - $35 – 3* - a grassy, petrol nose with sweet, spritzy, apple and honey palate
 Much of the enjoyment and appreciation of wine is in the aromas, where there could be hundreds of different scents embedded in different types of wines. The aromas also have a big impact on the taste of wine, since there are only 5 tastes – sweet, salty, bitter, sour, and savory (umami). So, it seems natural to try and use smell to help learn more about and understand wine.
In a new experiment, we put flavors characteristic of certain grape varietals (cassis (blackcurrant liquor) for Cabernet Sauvignon, black peppercorns for Syrah, and dried cherries for Pinot Noir) in Dixie cups for tasters to smell in the attempt to call out those flavors in the wines and help tasters identify which grape variety each wine is. While the tasters enjoyed the exercise and found it educational, it wasn’t clear the smell cups helped identified the grape varieties and in some cases made it a bit more confusing, when some Cabs also have pepper flavors, etc…Wine selection for a tasting like this is key, with wines that express the archetype of the varietal.
Here are the wines we tasted:
Blackcurrant / Cabernet Sauvignon:
2008 Santa Rita Medalla Real Reserva, Cabernet Sauvignon, Maipo, Chile - $15 – 2.5* - blackcurrant and tobacco nose with a dry, blackcurrant palate
2006 Haut-Bergey, Pessac-Leognan, Bordeaux, France - $35 –2* - musty and earthy aromas with flavors of spice, coffee, and cedar
Pepper / Syrah:
2010 Mission Estate Syrah, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand - $13 –3* - strong pepper nose with black fruit and pepper flavors
2009 Chateau St Cosme, St Joseph, Northern Rhone - $35 –
3.5*- nose a bit earthy with light red fruit and floralness, complex palate of cherry, strawberry and minerals, needs time to open up
Cherry / Pinot Noir:
2007 MacRostie Wildcat Mountain Vineyard Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast - $30 – 3.5* - a bright, dark cherry, lightly leafy nose with flavors of dark cherries and earth and a touch of pepper on the finish
2009 Maison Jacques Bavard, Monthelie Rouge, Burgundy, France - $25 – 3.5* - earthy and peppery nose, which opens up to a sweet cherry palate
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