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Warming up for #Cabernet Day with a Big Bordeaux Tasting PDF Print E-mail
Labels: Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley wineries, Red Wine, Wine Reviews, Social Media, Merlot, Cabernet Franc
Wine Reviews
Written by Fred Swan   
Wednesday, 01 September 2010 21:42

I’ll admit that it was a bit of a coincidence that I put together a big tasting of red Bordeaux yesterday, just two days before #Cabernet day. But, it was great timing nonetheless. The tasting, for my WSET Diploma study group, was designed to give us a quick overview of the most significant appellations of Bordeaux.

Because the tasting is prep for a future blind-tasting test that could include wines from anywhere in the world, but won’t include anything older than 2004, I had to pour wines that were quite a bit younger than would normally be preferred for red Bordeaux. On the bright side, 2005 was a great year for Bordeaux. Here’s what we tasted along with some a few of my notes (bear in mind that prices I mention for these wines are based on what I paid en primeur or at release):

2006 Chateau Le Fleur Morange Mathilde
 This is a rich and thick (for Bordeaux) garagiste wine from St. Emilion, the Right Bank where Merlot is king. This wine was made in the modern “international” style that aims for more extraction and heavier use of oak than one would normally expect from the region. The wine was completely opaque in the glass and its legs were deeply pigmented. I got some spiced Merlot plum on the nose, but the palate was all about dense black cherry and oak. That said, the oak wasn’t obnoxious and wouldn’t seem unusual to most drinkers of California reds. The body is rich and the tannins fairly silky, though they do clamp down on the fruit and stops the finish. It will be an enjoyable wine for the next few years and is reasonably priced at under $30. There are better deals below though, read on. Recommended.

2005 Chateau Petit Village
 Robert Parker called this wine “superficial, straightforward” and gave it an 87. I don’t agree. I tasted it in January of 2008 at the UGC event in San Francisco and again in Bordeaux that summer. Both times, I said two things to myself: a) This is good and b) This may be the best value out of Pomerol for 2005. The top Pomerol wines aren’t cheap. Petrus is stratospheric. For well under $100, Chateau Petit Village delivers rich fruit and complexity, nearly full-bodied richness, decent structure and a nice finish. And, unlike the Chateau Le Fleur Morange Mathilde above (Parker 89), this wine will last a while and should reward patience with actual terroir. I bought some of this after my Bordeaux trip of ’08 and, having tasted it yesterday, I’m glad I’ve got bottles in the cellar. Highly Recommended.

2005 La Fleur de Bouard
 This wine is from Lalande de Pomerol which is just north of, and somewhat larger than, the more famous Pomerol. It’s an “up and coming” appellation where results are highly dependent on the willingness of proprietors to spend big bucks in the winery and, perhaps especially, in the vineyard. I understand that some properties are going halfway; hiring successful winemakers and buying a lot of new oak but not focusing enough on the fruit itself. Two phrases one hears a lot in Bordeaux are “we are wine growers, not winemakers” and “great wine is made in the vineyard.” You probably won’t hear them often in Lalande de Pomerol though.

Le Fleur de Board, however, is owned by Hubert de Bouard de la Forest who is also the owner/winemaker of Chateau Angelus. His focus on winemaking and winegrowing have helped Angelus become one of the most sought-after wines of St. Emilion. La Fleur de Bouard gets similar focus and is thus one of the best wines coming from Lalande de Pomerol. Parker calls it “the ultimate reference point for what can be achieved” there. It’s a very good wine and, at around $35, not a bad value. It offers tasty, if leathery, fruit, spice and floral notes. Yet, it’s still a bit heavy-handed and oakified. The finish is fairly long but tastes predominantly of oak-derived espresso. It will drink well for five plus years. Recommended.

2005 Haut Nadeau
 The 2005 vintage in Bordeaux was such a good vintage that it floated almost every boat. Haut Nadeau is a good example. This wine is a Bordeaux Superieur, not a classified growth nor even Cru Bourgeois from a specific region. But it’s good and I bought a case upon release for $10 a bottle. It is dark ruby, more intensely colored than one might expect for what could be a fairly generic wine. On the nose I got red ropes, licorice and cherry. The wine showed good balance of tannins and alcohol with enough acidity to make it food friendly. It even offered a fairly long finish though the tannins are somewhat bitter. All in all, it’s a good representative of Bordeaux. The entire tasting group, including our guest expert who is an authority of Bordeaux with 30 years of focused experience in the area, preferred it to both the Chateau Le Fleur Morange Mathilde and the La Fleur de Bouard. It doesn’t have the stuffing of a classified growth though. Drink it now through 2015. Recommended.

2005 Chateau Potensac

This is a Medoc AOC wine but belongs to the same ownership group that holds Leoville Las Cases. As a result, its routinely among the best wines in its class and a good bargain bet. I picked this wine up at release for less than $25. It’s a solid and refined Bordeaux with sweet fruit and a good backbone. It’s drinking well now but will continue to improve for at least another five years. Recommended.

2005 Chateau Giscours
A chateau that’s seen a lot of improvement in the last 10 years, Giscours represented Margaux well last night. It was the most elegant and the prettiest of all of the night’s wines. It was smooth and creamy with powdery tannins but plenty of freshness. There was fruit, but also dark chocolate and more dark chocolate. I won’t open my next bottle for at least five years and it’ll be fine for fifteen. Highly Recommended.

2005 Clos du Marquis
 Clos du Marquis, from St. Julien, is usually considered to be the second wine of Leoville Las Cases. When I was there, however, they made a point of saying that it’s not really a second wine since it comes from wholly different vineyards. It’s hard to change perception though and the wine is always priced at least five times lower than the Grand Vin. That makes it a screaming bargain most of the time. How much do you want to pay for an extra point or two? I used to bought at least a case of Leoville Las Cases each year from 2000 through 2004, along with a similar amount of Clos du Marquis. In 2005 though, the Grand Vin went up very substantially in price while Clos du Marquis was still available for less than $50. I haven’t bought any Leoville Las Cases since, but have continued to grab the “second” wine.

The 2005 is a bold wine showing herb, dark cherry, raspberry, cassis and coffee. It’s wonderfully balanced with smooth tannins and a long finish. It’s going to be excellent for another twenty years and I’m not going to open another bottle for ten. Highly Recommended.

Clos-du-Marquis-on-the-Bottling-Line
Clos du Marquis on the Bottling Line (photo by Fred Swan)

2005 Chateau Lynch Bages
Pauillac is the big daddy of the Left Bank. With stars such as Chateau Latour, Chateau Lafite Rothschild, Chateau Mouton Rothschild and the now sky-rocketing (qualitatively) Chateau Pontet-Canet, it’s probably the primary destination for visitors to Bordeaux. Lynch Bages doesn’t reach the same levels of quality as those mentioned above, but it usually sells for less than $100 rather than up to $2,000. Again, how much do you want to pay for the extra points? If you insist on investing, read speculating, on Bordeaux, then you should buy Lafite and Latour en primeur. But if you want to drink the wine and you don’t have Meg Whitman money, then you should be buying Lynch Bages along with the odd bottle of Pontet-Canet for special occasions.

Lynch Bages usually puts out a robust wine. The 2005 fits the mold but, in keeping with the 2005 vintage overall, is a tad more elegant than most. It’s a dark, but not quite opaque, wine with very bold flavors of leather, tobacco, dark fruit and black olive. It’s on the verge of drinkability now, but you should wait five or ten years and can safely hold it for fifteen to twenty, depending on how you like your wine. Highly Recommended.

2005 Les Pagodes des Cos
The second wine of Cos d’Estournel in St. Estephe, this is another great bang-for-the-buck choice. While the company has been successfully driving up both the quality and price of the first wine, the second has also improved in quality but remained affordable. Available for less than $50 at release it has aromas and flavors of licorice, plum, sour cherry and earth. It’s smooth and tasty now but will be good for another decade. I’m a bit sad because the bottle I tasted was the only one I had. Highly Recommended.

Cos-dEstournel
Pagoda-inspired Towers at Cos d'Estournel (photo by Fred Swan)

2005 Chateau Cantemerle
For a good twenty years, this Haut Medoc producer didn’t offer much to get excited about. But, in the past five to ten, they’ve come a long, long way. The 2005 isn’t the best of their recent vintages but its still a solid wine and, when I consider that I paid well under $20/bottle for it, I’ll be happy to watch it develop over the next ten or more years. At the moment, it’s tight and burly. Recommended.

2007 Chateau Cantemerle
We threw this wine in to contrast the 2005 and 2007 vintages. Whereas the Bordeaux weather in 2005 was unbelievably perfect, 2007 offered rain, fog and more rain. And fog. 2005 was touted as the “vintage of the century” (as was 2000 and now 2009 — someone needs to explain to the pundits what “...of the century means), 2007 was pegged as lousy. The more optimistic call 2007 “good for early drinking.” I fall into that camp. I tasted a bunch of 2007s out of the barrel in June of 2008 and many were flat out delicious, though not geared for long-term aging.

When it comes to Chateau Cantemerle, the 2007 might actually be better than the 2005. It’s certainly a younger drinker but I also think that I’ll enjoy the 07 more today than I will the 2005 in five or ten years. The lower ripeness of the 2007 vintage has given the wine herbal notes, but I find them pleasant, even engaging. There’s also a lot of cherry, coffee and espresso plus ample acidity and structure. Recommended.

Philippe-Dambrine-at-Chateau-Cantemerle
Proprietor Philippe Dambrine at Chateau Cantemerle (photo by Fred Swan)

I plan to spend some quality time in Napa Valley Thursday for #Cabernet day. Having tasted through all of these Bordeaux Tuesday night and resampled them as I write on Wednesday, tasting Napa will be even more interesting. I’ve never been to the Ceja tasting room downtown, so I’ll definitely stop in there. We’ll also be at St. Supery to taste their latest and visit with #Cabernet Day organizer Rick Bakas. And I’m going to visit Signorello Estate, because I’ve never been there either. What are you doing for #Cabernet Day? Wherever you are, remember to use the #cabernet hashtag if you’re drinking Cab and tweeting.

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Follow NorCalWine on Twitter for breaking wine news, information on events and more. Become a fan and join the NorCal Wine community on Facebook. Also check outour comprehensive Northern California winery listings. They are very useful for planning a tasting trip or just getting in touch with a winery.

This article is original to NorCalWine.com. Copyright 2010 NorCal Wine. All rights reserved.
 

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Cool Wine Stopper! PDF Print E-mail
Labels: Wine Gadgets
Wine Gadgets
Written by Fred Swan   
Wednesday, 01 September 2010 10:38

Did you ever find a partially-consumed bottle of wine in the fridge but not remember when you put it there? If so, this is your wine gadget. Mad designer George Lee of le mouton noir & co. has created it so that you can hide your forgetfulness with high-tech coolness. It features gnarly gnurled dials that let you tune in the date of stoppering.

WineStopper_3

My thinking is that if you can’t remember how long it’s been there, the wine is probably best put in a vinegar barrel rather than your glass. That said, this one great looking wine stopper. [via gizmodo]

Black sheep George Lee has designed some other tableware that exhibit elegance with a dollop of twisted practicality. My favorite is this tea cup that keeps the tea bag in place.

tietea_1

 

A bit more fanciful is this jigsaw puzzle salt and pepper set with “storage spaces.”

mylits_1

 

I also love his spinning postcards. If you like the one below, check out his website to see more.

postcard_pirate

If you enjoyed this article, please share it! Icons for popular sharing services are at the right above and also below.

Follow NorCalWine on Twitter for breaking wine news, information on events and more. Become a fan and join the NorCal Wine community on Facebook. Also check outour comprehensive Northern California winery listings. They are very useful for planning a tasting trip or just getting in touch with a winery.

This article is original to NorCalWine.com. Copyright 2010 NorCal Wine. All rights reserved. Photos from, and presumably property of, le mouton noir & co.
 
Highlights from the Family Winemakers Tasting, San Francisco 2010 PDF Print E-mail
Labels: Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley wineries, Rhone varietals, Wine Tasting Events, White Wine, Red Wine, Wine Reviews, Pinot Noir, Sonoma Wineries, Petite Sirah, Paso Robles wineries, Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Syrah, East Bay wineries, Mendocino County Wineries, Cabernet Franc, Grenache
Tasting Event
Written by Fred Swan   
Sunday, 29 August 2010 00:00

The Family Winemakers of California held their annual San Francisco tasting this past weekend (August 22-23, 2010) at Fort Mason. I attended both days and spent almost ten hours tasting new releases and talking with winemakers and proprietors. There were literally thousands of wines available to try. My focus was on trying things from wineries I wasn't very familiar with and completely new offerings from some of my favorite producers.

I tasted a ridiculous amount of wines, well over 170, but still only a small portion of what was available. Don't assume the worst for wines I don't mention. Also be aware that the tasting conditions at these mass tastings aren't scientific, so your experience with the wines I recommend may differ from mine. Over time, I will try to bring many of the better ones in for blind tasting in a controlled environment.

C.G. Di Arie was a new “discovery” for me, though they are likely well-known to those of you who spend time at wineries in the Sierra Foothills. They are based near the town of Mt. Aukum in the Shenandoah Valley, about 90 minutes east of Sacramento. The proprietors, Chaim and Elisheva Gur-Arieh have a 209 acre estate there, 47 of which are under vine. They’ve got at least 11 varieties planted and produce up to 15,000 cases per year.

As do many wineries with a wine club focus, C. G. Di Arie produces a lot of different wines (thirty-one in this case). Often that can lead to mediocrity. It’s really hard to produce many different wines and keep quality high. However, I tasted eight of the C. G. Di Arie wines on Sunday and can give seven of them solid recommendations. (The lone outlier was good, but not exceptional.) That’s an impressive showing. I was also pleased by the overall winemaking style: elegant, varietally correct and very moderate in alcohol and application of oak. I’m looking forward to visiting their winery, which includes two art galleries and a great view from their 1,700 foot elevation, soon so I can try more of the wines. Here are the ones I recommend for now:
2009 C. G. Di Arie Rosé Di Arie, Sierra Foothills - $18

2009 C. G. Di Arie Sauvignon Blanc, Shenandoah Valley - $18 (intentionally and successfully modeled after the New Zealand style, fresh and clean)
2007 C. G. Di Arie Barbera, Sierra Foothills - $24 (more restrained than most California Barberas)
2008 C. G. Di Arie Primitivo Block #4, Shenandoah Valley - $25
2006 C. G. Di Arie Zinfandel Southern Exposure - $35 (fruit sourced from Terry Harvey’s vineyard which is the old Zinfandel Vineyard in North America)
2007 C. G. Di Arie Petite Sirah, Estate Grown - $30 (would have been among the top 10 had it been poured at the P.S. I Love You event)
2006 C. G. Di Arie Syrah, Amador County - $20 (fruit-centric, but gently so)

There were a number of other wineries whose wines I don't recall having tasted previously but am now happy to recommend:
2006 Bella Luna Winery Estate Riserva Bellicaia, Paso Robles (70% Cabernet, 30% Sangiovese) - $45, Recommended
2007 Bixler Vineyards Red Blend (Syrah, Merlot and Petite Sirah from the California delta) - $12, Recommended
2006 Branham Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley - $40. Recommended
2009 Clouds Rest Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc - Recommended

2008 Clouds Rest Vineyards Chardonnay Mendocino - Recommended

2008 Clouds Rest Vineyards Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast - Highly Recommended

2005 Clouds Rest Vineyards Pinot Noir - Very Highly Recommended

2008 Field Recordings Wines Petite Sirah Red Cedar Vineyard, Paso Robles - $30, Recommended
2008 Field Recordings Wines Chardonnay Sarmento Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands - $18, Recommended
2008 Field Recordings Wines “Fiction” (Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Tannat) - $17, Highly Recommended

2008 Field Recordings Wines “Chorus Effect” Koligian Vineyard, Paso Robles (red Bordeaux varietals plus Tannat) - $27, Recommended

2005 Korbin Kameron Cabernet Sauvignon - $40, Highly Recommended

2006 Korbin Kameron Merlot Sonoma Mountain - $NA, Recommended

2006 Korbin Kameron Kristin Cuvee - $55, Recommended

2006 Olin Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County - $20, Recommended
2006 Owl Ridge Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma County - $24, Recommended

2005 Owl Ridge Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard Select - $24, Highly Recommended

2005 Owl Ridge Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Passalacqua Vineyard Dry Creek Valley - $48, Highly Recommended

2008 PB Hein Chardonnay Napa Valley (Carneros) - $NA, Highly Recommended

2005 PB Hein Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley - $40, Recommended

2007 PB Hein "Trailblazer" Red Blend (Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel) - $NA, Highly Recommended

2006 PB Hein Syrah Suisun Vineyard - $17, Recommended
2008 Peter Paul Wines Pinot Noir Russian River Valley - $32, Recommended

2008 Peter Paul Wines Chardonnay Bacigalupi Vineyard Russian River - $38, Highly Recommended

2008 Peter Paul Wines Pinot Noir Mill Station Rd. Russian River Valley - $42, Highly Recommended
2007 Pierce Ranch Vineyards Petite Sirah - $NA, Recommended

2006 Portfolio Limited Edition Cabernet Sauvignon - $125, Highly Recommended
2007 Respite Wines Cabernet Sauvignon - $48, Highly Recommended2007 Sequum Zinfandel - $30, Highly Recommended

2006 Sequum Cabernet Sauvignon Kidd Ranch Napa Valley - $60, Highly Recommended
2007 Sequum Cabernet Sauvignon - $40, Recommended
2007 Sequum Zinfandel - $TBD, Highly Recommended
2007 TR Elliott Pinot Noir "Questa" Russian River Valley- $40, Highly Recommended

2006 TR Elliott Pinot Noir "Burgonet" Russian River Valley - $38, Recommended

2006 Violet-Green Winery Syrah Alder Springs Vineyard Mendocino - $NA, Highly Recommended

2006 Violet-Green Winery Cabernet Franc Alder Springs Vineyard Mendocino - $29, Recommended 

2007 Violet-Green Winery Cabernet Franc Alder Springs Vineyard Mendocino - $29, Highly Recommended

2008 Voss Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc - $20, Recommended

2006 Wallis Family Estate Cabernet Sauvignon - $85, Highly Recommended
2007 Wallis Family Estate Cabernet Sauvignon - $85, Highly Recommended

Two of the best wines at the tasting were not new releases. In fact, one of them isn’t even from this decade. Calera was pouring two wines from their library along with recent releases. Calera’s Pinot Noir is widely considered to be among the most age-worthy in California. The 1997 and 2000 vintages of Calera Mills Vineyard Mt. Harlan Pinot Noir strongly supported that view — both were excellent. Fortunately for you, these library wines weren’t just being poured for as references for aging potential. The winery has released a number of bottles from their library for sale now and the 2000 appears to be available. [Great palates think alike. You can also read about the 1997 Calera Mills Vineyard Mt. Harlan Pinot at Vinography.]

Don’t overlook the new wines from Calera though. The eight I tasted were all very good:
2009 Calera Viognier, Central Coast - $16, Recommended

2009 Calera Viognier, Mt. Harlan - $30, Highly Recommended
2009 Calera Chardonnay Central Coast - $16, Recommended
2009 Calera Chardonnay Mt. Harlan - $28, Highly Recommended
2008 Calera Pinot Noir Central Coast - $24, Highly Recommended

2007 Calera Pinot Noir de Villiers Vineyard Mt Harlan - $35, Highly Recommended
2007 Calera Pinot Noir Ryan Vineyard Mt Harlan - $40, Highly Recommended
2007 Calera Pinot Noir Mills Vineyard Mt Harlan - $45, Highly Recommended

Without respect to vintage or winery history, here are the best of the wines, by varietal, that I tried at the 2010 Family Winemakers Tasting:
White Wines
Chardonnay
2008 Clouds Rest Vineyards Chardonnay Mendocino - $NA, Recommended

2008 Dunstan Chardonnay - $40, Highly Recommended

2008 Field Recordings Wines Chardonnay Sarmento Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands - $18, Recommended

2009 Grey Stack Chardonnay - $NA, Highly Recommended

2008 PB Hein Chardonnay Napa Valley (Carneros) - $NA, Highly Recommended
2008 Peter Paul Wines Chardonnay Bacigalupi Vineyard Russian River - $38, Highly Recommended

Sauvignon Blanc
2009 Grey Stack Sauvignon Blanc - $NA, Highly Recommended

2009 Orin Swift Cellars Sauvignon Blanc - $25, Highly Recommended
2008 Petroni Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc - $22, Highly Recommended

Red Wines
Cabernet Sauvignon/Bordeaux Blends
2007 Carter Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Coliseum Block - $75, Very Highly Recommended
2006 Cavus Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon - $NA, Highly Recommended

2005 Korbin Kameron Cabernet Sauvignon - $40, Highly Recommended
2007 Mauritson “Bordeaux Blend” Buck Pasture - $50, Highly Recommended

2007 Orin Swift Cellars Papillon - $55, Very Highly Recommended
2005 Owl Ridge Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard Select - $24, Highly Recommended

2005 Owl Ridge Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Passalacqua Vineyard Dry Creek Valley - $48, Highly Recommended
2006 Pahlmeyer Cabernet Sauvignon - $105, Highly Recommended

2006 Petroni Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon - $70, Highly Recommended
2006 Portfolio Limited Edition Cabernet Sauvignon - $125, Highly Recommended
2007 Respite Wines Cabernet Sauvignon - $48, Highly Recommended

2006 Sequum Cabernet Sauvignon Kidd Ranch Napa Valley - $60, Highly Recommended
2007 Vellum Cabernet Sauvignon - $56, Highly Recommended

2007 Violet-Green Winery Cabernet Franc Alder Springs Vineyard Mendocino - $29, Highly Recommended

2006 Wallis Family Estate Cabernet Sauvignon - $85, Highly Recommended
2007 Wallis Family Estate Cabernet Sauvignon - $85, Highly Recommended

Grenache
2007 Grey Stack Grenache - $35, Highly Recommended

Merlot
2008 Bevan Cellars Merlot - ~$70, Highly Recommended

2005 Carrefour Vineyards Merlot - $28, Highly Recommended

Petite Sirah
2007 C. G. Di Arie Petite Sirah, Estate Grown - $30, Recommended
2008 Field Recordings Wines Petite Sirah Red Cedar Vineyard, Paso Robles - $30, Recommended

Pinot Noir
2007 Black Kite Cellars Pinot Noir Stony Terrace, Anderson Valley - ~$70, Very Highly Recommended
2009 Black Kite Cellars Pinot Noir Stony Terrace, Anderson Valley (just bottled on August 6) - $TBD, Highly Recommended
2006 Carrefour Vineyards Pinot Noir (Truchard Vineyard, Carneros) - $33, Highly Recommended
2008 Clouds Rest Vineyards Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast - Highly Recommended

2005 Clouds Rest Vineyards Pinot Noir - Very Highly Recommended
2007 Sand Hill at Durell Vineyard Pinot Noir - $50, Very Highly Recommended
2008 Dunstan Pinot Noir - $50, Highly Recommended

2009 Grey Stack Pinot Noir Bennett Valley - $28, Highly Recommended

2007 Hanzell Vineyards Pinot Noir Estate - $95, Highly Recommended
2006 Pahlmyer Jayson Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast - $45, Highly Recommended

2008 Peter Paul Wines Pinot Noir Mill Station Rd. Russian River Valley - $42, Highly Recommended
2007 TR Elliott Pinot Noir Questa - $40, Highly Recommended

Syrah
2007 Canihan Family Cellars Syrah Exuberance Reserved - $49, Highly Recommended
2007 Grey Stack Syrah - Highly Recommended
2008 Grey Stack Syrah - Highly Recommended
2007 Grey Stack Syrah “The Narcissist” - Very Highly Recommended
2007 PB Hein "Trailblazer" Red Blend (Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel) - $NA, Highly Recommended
2007 Red Car Trolley Syrah "Tomorrowland" - $NA, Highly Recommended
2006 Violet-Green Winery Syrah Alder Springs Vineyard - $NA, Highly Recommended
2007 Westerhold Family Vineyards Syrah - $42, Very Highly Recommended

2008 Westerhold Family Vineyards Syrah ( barrel sample) - $TBD, Highly Recommended

Zinfandel
2008 Field Recordings Wines “Fiction” (Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Tannat) - $17, Highly Recommended
2007 Sequum Zinfandel - $TBD, Highly Recommended

If you enjoyed this article, please share it! Icons for popular sharing services are at the right above and also below.

Follow NorCalWine on Twitter for breaking wine news, information on events and more. Become a fan and join the NorCal Wine community on Facebook. Also check outour comprehensive Northern California winery listings. They are very useful for planning a tasting trip or just getting in touch with a winery.

This article is original to NorCalWine.com. Copyright 2010 NorCal Wine. All rights reserved.
 

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Deals of the Day: Friday, August 20, 2010 PDF Print E-mail
Deals of the Day
Written by Fred Swan   
Friday, 20 August 2010 13:57

These are deals I’ve come across in the last day or so that I thought may be of interest to you. NorCal Wine isn’t compensated in any way by the vendors involved.
Read more...
 
The 2010 Cabernet Shootout PDF Print E-mail
Labels: Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley wineries, Wine Tasting Events, Red Wine, Wine Reviews, Sonoma Wineries, Paso Robles wineries, Livermore Valley Wineries, East Bay wineries, Cabernet Franc
Tasting Event
Written by Fred Swan   
Monday, 16 August 2010 14:56

This past Saturday, I served as a judge in the California finals of the 2010 Cabernet Shootout. Organized by Affairs of the Vine, this final tasting included sixty-four wines, narrowed down from hundreds of wines by earlier trials. Judges were divided into two groups, each of which evaluated thirty-two wines in four flights of eight. The first flight I tasted was Cabernet Franc or blends predominantly based on that grape. The rest of the wines were predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon but could include other grapes within the blend. The top scoring wines from Saturday's competitions will go on to a consumer tasting this Fall in Chicago.

The tasting was, of course, blind. This was the first of these shootouts in which I've participated. Purposely, I didn't look at what wines had been evaluated in past shootouts, where they were from, etc. I wanted my judging to be as completely blind as possible. This also made my perusal today of the roster of wines I tasted more interesting. All but one of the wines tasted were what I would consider to be from current vintages, 2005 - 2009. The outlier was a 2004 which, tasting blind, I described as tired. I suppose that's a fair description for an 04 in a field of very young wines. I have a bottle of the same wine in my cellar and it will be interesting to taste it again and see if I agree with myself under different circumstances.

The wines were from a wide range of price points and regions too. I'm not going to name many of the wines, because I don't want to steal any thunder from future Affairs of the Vine announcements. But it's interesting to look over my scoring sheet, the wine list and  see what springs to mind. First, I notice that I gave low scores to the two least expensive wines. Selling for $8 and $10, I scored them both at a level which I'd associate with slightly below-average mass production wines. Sorry folks, there were no bargain basement miracles in my flights.

By the same token, price does not necessarily indicate quality. Of the wines priced at $50 or higher, five would get "recommended" status at NorCal Wine and two would be "highly recommended." The final wine in that category and the most expensive of all was the sneaky 2004. Based on the glass I tasted, I wouldn't recommend it at all. That's not a bad showing for the pricey wines, but not stellar either.

There is good news for bargain shoppers. The two wines I rated most highly — they would also get "highly recommended" status at NorCal Wine — were priced at $23 and $32. They also confirm the logic that, for excellent value, one might do well looking away from California's most prominent regions. One of the wines was labelled "Central Coast" and the other was from the Livermore Valley. As it happens, I recently tasted  a Petite Sirah from the same Livermore winery and it was quite good as well. I can see that I need to do a feature on Crooked Vine Winery soon.

There were eight wines that I scored just one or two points below the two mentioned above, they too would be "highly recommended." Among them were three Paso Robles wines, two from Dry Creek Valley, two came from high-altitude appellations within Napa Valley and the final one was from Washington State. The lowest priced wine among these was $22 and the highest, at $75 each, were the Napa wines.

Before and after the tasting, I had a good time chatting with several of my fellow judges, include Eric Hwang, Steve Heimoff, Thea Dwelle, John Drady, Jason Mancebo and Laura Ness. Eva Swan from NorCal Wine was also a judge, tasting the thirty-two wines I did not, but we've not had a chance to compare notes yet. I also enjoyed speaking with Barbara Drady who, as organizer, was not judging. She and her volunteers did a tremendous job with everything: structuring the event, pouring, keeping things on schedule and keeping the judges palates fresh with good bread, etc. She also rewarded us for our efforts with tasty pie afterward!

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