Wine Bazar

Greetings from Cape Town, South Africa! I’ve come down to the Cape Winelands to dive deep into South African wine in a way that isn’t possible in the United States. In most wine stores I’m lucky to find a handful of South African wines at most, and forget about restaurants, which often just have a single representative wine on their list, if anything at all.

So I′m here under the imposing shadow of Table Mountain to attend Cape Wine 08, the biannual South African wine convention — their equivalent of VinItaly or VinExpo. I′ll be visiting a few wine producers, having a few meals, attending a couple of seminars, but mostly I′m going to be doing one thing, and one thing only: tasting as much South African wine as I can.

At least, as much as my jet lag will let me. It hasn’t kicked in yet, but I expect it to in about 24 hours, so while I’m able to be rested, I’ve gotten started on my explorations.

My first event of the week was a lunch sponsored by the winemakers of the Simonsberg Ward of the Stellenbosch District. The South African wine regions take some time to get one’s head (and one’s tongue) around. Those familiar with California wine appellations will find the best analog to the Districts and Wards in the relationship between say, the Central Coast appellation and the specific AVAs (American Viticultural Areas) like Paso Robles and Arroyo Grande Valley. In South Africa, the Stellenbosch District represents the larger wine region, while the Wards are the equivalents of our AVAs.

The Simonsberg Ward takes its name from its primary geographical feature, Simonsberg Mountain, which nicely separates the Stellenbosch and Paarl wine districts, much as the Mayacamas mountains separate California’s Napa and Sonoma counties.

Simonsberg Ward is home to a mere 15 wine producers, most of whom focus on growing Bordeaux varietals and blended wines on the sloping, rocky hillsides that ring the craggy mountain.

After tasting a couple nice Sauvignon Blancs on the patio (with little space for me to take notes) we moved into a restaurant for lunch and tasting wines. Here are my notes from the wines I tasted. I found the wines competently made and varietally true, and some had great personalities. In addition to standard Bordeaux blends, some of the red blends in the area also contain Syrah as well as Pinotage, South Africa’s signature cross between Pinot Noir and Cinsault.

I believe that I may have missed one or two wines on offer, but I plan on seeking them out at the convention tomorrow.

TASTING NOTES:

2004 Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon, Simonsberg Ward, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Inky ruby in color this wine has an intense nose of espresso and black cherry aromas. In the mouth it is soft and rich with flavors of cherry, plum, wet earth, and a spicy cedar note that seems to ride on the back of the suede-like tannins. Nice finish. Score: around 9. Cost: $27. Where to buy?

2000 Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon, Simonsberg Ward, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Inky Garnet in the glass, this wine smells of cedar and sawdust with a hint of red fruit lying underneath. In the mouth it is lean and taut with flavors of cherry, sawdust, and caramel, and light, dusty tannins. The fruit has dried somewhat but has not been replaced by more interesting secondary aromas and flavors. Score: around 8.5. Cost: n/a

2006 Warwick Estate “Trilogy” Red Blend, Simonsberg Ward, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Dark garnet in color, this wine smells of cassis and black cherry. In the mouth it is medium bodied with nice, smooth tannins that wrap around flavors of black cherry, and then on the finish, sweet cocoa. Pleasant but not amazing. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $??

2004 Tokara Cabernet Sauvignon, Simonsberg Ward, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Dark garnet in the glass, this wine has a nose of earth, leather, and tobacco aromas. On the palate it offers a straightforward combination of cherry, spices, and a heavy helping of oak and vanilla, that ends up being the lasting impression of the wine. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $??

2005 Rustenberg “John X. Merriman” Bordeaux Blend, Simonsberg Ward, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Dark garnet in color, this wine has a remarkably savory nose of mixed herbs and what I’ll call “tree bark” aromas. In the mouth it centers on cherry flavors with a good helping of oak and dried herbs, and some unfortunate alcoholic heat towards the finish. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $20. Where to buy?

2004 Deleheim “Grand Reserve” Bordeaux Blend, Simonsberg Ward, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Medium ruby in the glass, this wine smells of a very pretty concoction of cherry, mint, and leather aromas. In the mouth the leather quality persists both in flavor as well as the texture of its grippy tannins. The primary fruit is a bright cherry that mixes with a nice minerality that lingers in the finish. Very Bordeaux in style. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $??

2007 Laibach “The Ladybird” Bordeaux Blend, Simonsberg Ward, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Dark garnet in color, this wine has a promising nose of mocha and hazelnut aromas. In the mouth, however, it leaves something to be desired. All the flavor sensations seem to be at the top of the mouth, as this high-toned wine slides by the palate without engaging it, leaving very pretty aromas of cassis and oak but not much body to show for them. Score: around 8. Cost: $??

1995 Kanonkop “Paul Sauer” Red Wine, Simonsberg Ward, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Medium garnet in the glass, this wine has a leathery nose, as if it brushed by a saddle shop on the way to the barrel. In the mouth it is smooth and lean, with sandalwood, and very soft cherry aromas that mix with incense qualities that show the wines age quite prettily. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: n/a

2004 Kanonkop “Paul Sauer” Red Wine, Simonsberg Ward, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Inky garnet in the glass this wine has a powerful nose of dark cherry, espresso, and tobacco aromas. In the mouth it is round, lush and juicy with cherry and black cherry aromas that are nicely balanced with earthier, mineral complexity. Velvety tannins trace through this perfectly dry, poised wine that feels like a river of cherry silk in the mouth. A gorgeous finish rounds out this absolutely top notch wine. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: ??.

2005 Le Bonheur “Prima″ Red Blend, Simonsberg Ward, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Medium garnet in color, this wine has a bright cherry smell, and primarily cherry flavors in the mouth. The wine shows a bit too much of the green bell pepper characteristic that is common sometimes in Cabernet Sauvignon for my taste. For those who are not put off by such flavors (which are a lot of people) this is a straightforward wine. Score: between 8 and 8.5. Cost: $14.Where to buy?

2005 Uitkyk “Carlonet″ Cabernet Sauvignon, Simonsberg Ward, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Medium ruby in the glass this wine has a promising nose of cherry, leather, and earth aromas. In the mouth it offers a core of cherry fruit with lots of earth tones that somewhat overwhelm the fruit. These darker notes, combined with the drying tannins make for a wine that seems more bitter than it should be. Score: between 8 and 8.5. Cost: $??

2005 Quoin Rock Syrah, Simonsberg Ward, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Dark garnet in the glass, this wine has a pretty nose of cassis and floral aromas. In the mouth it has, classic, strong blackberry flavors, and an unusual touch of chocolate before it heads to a finish that brings in tones of violets. Score: around 8.5. Cost: ??

2004 Morgonhof Estate Red Blend, Simonsberg Ward, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Medium to dark ruby in color, this wine has a wonderfully earthy nose. In the mouth it offers rich black cherry flavors with a nice spicy black pepper quality that tends a little towards the bitter side as the wine finishes. Score: around 8.5. Cost: ??

2005 Remhoogte Red Cape Blend, Simonsberg Ward, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Medium ruby in the glass, this wine has an odd nose of aromas that seem both vegetal as well as gamey while at the same time being neither. In the mouth it is smooth and soft on the tongue with dried fruit characteristics of prunes, figs, and chocolate, with an undercurrent of the vegetal, that I attribute to the including of Pinotage in this blend of Cabernet and Merlot. Score: around 8. Cost: ??.

2005 Knorhoek “Pantere” Red Blend, Simonsberg Ward, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Medium garnet in color, this wine has a nose of cassis and wet earth aromas that are quite inviting. On the palate, the wine is a nice balance between rich earth tones of mud and leather and fresh cherry fruit. Nice texture and acid make it easy to drink. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: ??.

2005 Laibach “Widow’s Block” Cabernet Sauvignon, Simonsberg Ward, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Dark garnet in the glass, this wine grabs your attention the moment the earthy, cherry aromas hit your nose. By the time you’ve got even just a little bit of the wine in your mouth you are tasting chocolate and cherries, bouncy with juicy acidity. And by the time the velvet tannins snake their way around your tongue and the wine is finishing beautifully, you already know you’re going to take another sip. Score: around 9. Cost: ??

2005 Muratie “Ansela vin de cab” Red Blend, Simonsberg Ward, Stellenbosch, South Africa
Medium garnet in color, this wine has a pungent nose of chocolate and smoky aromas. In the mouth that smoky quality persists quite strongly, incorporating woody, cherry flavors into a lean angular body. Quite distinctive, but not utterly compelling. Score: between 8 and 8.5. Cost: ??

Original post by default@goarticles.com (Levi Reiss)

One of the greatest, though imminently forgivable, crimes perpetrated by a large number of even the most knowledgeable wine lovers consists of the tendency to consume great wines before they have had the opportunity to fully develop. Sometimes referred to as “infanticide,” this practice varies in its levels of extremity depending on the category of wine.

In my opinion, perhaps the most slighted of all categories in this respect is California Pinot Noir. While it may not have the aging potential of Burgundy (though we don′t really know for sure — no one has been making really serious Pinot Noir in the state for the 50 years it would take to find out) California Pinot can age beautifully over two decades, a fate that it is unfortunately only rarely allowed to achieve.

I only started aging California Pinots beginning with the 1996 vintage, and only a bottle or two survived to recent years to shame me into the realization I had drunk many far too early. But I had the good fortune to purchase a portion of an acquaintance’s collection of old California Pinot a few years ago, and I have been reveling in my exploration of these older wines, of which this particular bottle is one.

Walter Hansel made himself a good living in the late 1970s as the owner of a number of car dealerships in Sonoma County, where he made his home. As a lifelong wine lover with a good deal of property in the Russian River Valley appellation, it was an easy choice as to what to do with some extra savings. Hansel’s vineyard plantings began in 1978, and were increased in fits and starts over the years to the present holdings of about 65 acres down the road from names like Kistler and Dehlinger. From the first plantings, the grapes were sold to surrounding vintners while the family made small amounts of wine for themselves.

Sadly, Walter Hansel died in 1996, the same year he and his son Stephen had decided to commercially release wine for the first time. That year the winery produced a mere 70 cases of estate Pinot Noir, which this bottle was a member.

After taking over the winery from his father, Stephen was mentored in his initial explorations as a winegrower and winemaker by friend Tom Rochioli, who knew a thing or two about growing Burgundian varietals in the Russian River Valley. With Rochioli’s help, Hansel carefully grew the estate with plantings of specific clones of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay matched to the three soil types that pervaded the family’s vineyards.

The estate continues to produce small lots of mostly single vineyard designated wines in quantities between 100 and 800 cases. The fruit for all the wines is carefully hand-harvested before or at dawn, and rigorously sorted in the field, and then again at the winery. The clusters of fruit are destemmed, sorted again, and undergo a cold soak before beginning fermentation. After that point, very little is done to the wine — it ferments with natural yeasts in open top fermenters, and is aged in various French oak barrels that vary in age from new to two years in age.

It was a distinct pleasure to revisit the first vintage of what has become a quiet member of the upper echelon of Russian River Valley Pinot Noir producers. The wine remains a great testament to the man whose name it bears.

Tasting Notes:
Light ruby in color, fading slightly to pink at the edges, this wine has a heady nose of hibiscus, raspberry, and hints of smoked meats. In the mouth the wine is beautifully structured with excellent acidity, velvet texture, and light tannins that merge with an overall earthy quality. The primary flavors on the palate are rooibos, wet dirt, raspberry, and exotic spices which linger into a finish that is literally minutes long. Outstanding, easily could age for another 5 to 10 years, and a slap in the face for those who think that California Pinot Noir has a short lifespan.

Food Pairing:
We drank this wine with a simple dinner of roast pork tenderloin and sauteed rainbow chard.

Overall Score: around 9.5

How Much?: unknown

This wine is nearly impossible to find except in the collections of those who were fortunate enough to take a gamble on the winery’s first vintage. If you ever see a bottle, snap it up.

Original post by default@goarticles.com (Levi Reiss)

There’s something really cool about seeing a young winery start to hit its stride. I′ve only seen a few newborn calves and foals in their first moments after birth as they learn to use their spindly legs, but it’s hard not to feel a sense of pride when after a few minutes, they go galloping around in circles.

I was first introduced to Gargiulo Vineyards at a wine bar in San Francisco a couple of years ago. I just happened to stop by for a drink, and April Gargiulo was on hand, pouring what was then her family’s second release to a hip crowd of San Francisco wine lovers. At the time, I wasn’t blown away by the wines — they were somewhat awkward, and didn’t fully hang together — but April seemed very serious about what they were doing. It was also clear that the family had made a serious investment in their vineyards in the heart of Oakville, so I’ve been keeping tabs on the winery over the last few years, and watched them go from their awkward first steps in the market to where they are now, a consistently excellent producer.

Gargiulo Vineyards was started in 1992 when Jeff Gargiulo and his wife Valerie purchased a 40 acre vineyard in Oakville called Money Road Ranch. Like many of the new vineyards owners in Napa, the Gargiulos come to their new occupation by way of a lifelong dream. Jeff has worked in the agricultural business his whole life, but always thought that one day he might have an opportunity to merge his own love of wine with his work on the business side of agriculture. It was only a matter of time before the right property came along, and suddenly the Gargiulos were in the vineyard business.

The first task of that new occupation was the replanting and re-engineering of the vineyard, with new rootstocks and planting grids and trellis systems, a process which took three years. The resulting vineyard is mostly Merlot, with smaller amounts of Cabernet, Sangiovese, and Pinot Grigio.

The vines weren’t ready for prime time for another four years, and for the first couple of years after that, the Gargiulos sold their fruit to local producers while they fine tuned their operations. In that time the family purchased another piece of property at Oakville crossroads, sandwiched in between Rudd and Screaming Eagle. Needless to say, it’s a prime piece of real estate, and one of the few south-facing sloped vineyards in the Oakville appellation. The Gargiulo’s named this vineyard OVX, and planted it with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petite Verdot.

In 2000 the family felt ready to produce their own wines from the Money Road Ranch vineyard, and have slowly ramped up production, as they build their own winery facility which is due to open this fall. Starting in 2004, the family also began harvesting and bottling wine from the OVX vineyard, the potential of which is perhaps best captured in this bottle of wine.

Made up of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon; 5% Merlot, 5 % Cabernet Franc, 4% Petite Verdot, the wine can legally be called a Cabernet, and is indeed labeled as such, but it drinks more like the Bordeaux-style blend that it is. This is the inaugural vintage for this particular single vineyard bottling, which looks to be slated to become the winery’s flagship wine. Only 250 cases will be made each year.

Named after a favorite jazz chord, the wine is made by the estate’s winemaker Kristof Anderson who has been with Gargiulo since 2003. Kristof’s resume includes stints as winemaker at Lewis Cellars, Del Dotto, and at Saddleback Cellars.

The G Major Seven Study is made from the best blocks of each grape variety in the family’s OVX vineyard. The entire vineyard is farmed with deficit irrigation and a combination of sustainable soil management practices and organic farming, and these blocks yield approximately two and a half tons of fruit per acre. The wine spends 19 months in French oak (90% new) before bottling.

This is the finest wine I have tasted from Gargiulo, but based on this single bottle, I expect to taste many more.

Full disclosure: I received these wines as a press sample

Tasting Notes:
Inky garnet in the glass, this wine has a nose of cherry, tobacco, and earth aromas singed with a hint of burnt vanilla. In the mouth it is smooth, full, and rich with spicy sandalwood and cherry flavors that are propped up by deeper notes of wet dirt and tobacco. Faint faint tannins dance at the periphery of the palate as the wine finishes long and as beautiful as its namesake.

Food Pairing:
This wine would be a great accompaniment to this venison daube with cumin and coriander.

Overall Score: between 9 and 9.5

How Much?: $125

This wine is generally sold to mailing list members and a few select retailers. It is available for purchase on the Internet.

Original post by default@goarticles.com (Levi Reiss)

In the wine world, the grapes matter. Move past the varietal surface of wine consumption, and you’ll quickly descend into a world where the qualities of a given wine (say, Russian River Pinot Noir) are discussed in terms of how Dijon clone 667 grapes do on Riparia Gloire rootstock.

In the world of sake, a lot of things matter, from the water, to the yeast, to the Koji mold — and of course, the rice. To say that rice is to sake as grapes are to wine is not entirely accurate. For instance, the primary differences in how two different sakes taste is rarely attributable to the strain of rice used (holding all other variables in sake making constant, but changing the type of rice will result in a subtly different flavor profile — though this is rarely done). Those readers with more sake familiarity know that the majority of all sake, and almost the entirety of ginjo and daiginjo grade sake is made with just a single strain of rice known as Yamadanishiki.

So generally when discussing the differences between sakes, or even regional styles of sake, rice is not the first thing to enter the conversation. Having said that, there are some regional variations in the rice that brewers tend to use, and there are those breweries that go out of their way to make sake with specific varieties of rice in order to achieve specific flavor profiles.

If there is another rice strain that ever tends to cross the lips of even the more novice sake aficionados, it is the Omachi rice variety. Omachi is particularly interesting, not just because it is used by less than 30% of the breweries in Japan according to some sources, but because it is the oldest known “pure” strain of rice in Japan. While all the other rice varieties for sake have been hybridized over the years, Omachi has been cultivated without hybridization since it was discovered in 1859 in the small village deep in Okayama Prefecture whose name it now bears.

For some reason, most likely the accident of natural selection, Omachi rice does not hybridize well. Many have tried and failed over the years, so Omachi remains a bit of a spinster in the world of rice — a strong personality with virtually no offspring (there are only three successful hybrids, and those took a lot of work). Nineteenth century Japanese farmers had no need to hybridize it, however, so it didn’t bother them a bit — indeed, at one point it was apparently one of the most popular varieties of table rice in the country.

But when mechanical harvesting replaced hand harvesting of rice, Omachi fell out of favor because its long, thick stalks and irregular clusters of grains made it difficult for the early harvesting machines.

Today it remains a bit of a novelty in the sake making world, though some select brewers have begun to take it quite seriously as a source for top grade sake.

One of those breweries is Minogawa Shuzo, based in Niigata prefecture. Founded in 1827 this brewery produces a number of artisan sakes, all made proudly with water from the underground currents of the Shinano River. Pulled from the brewery’s well at a depth of 295 feet below the surface of the earth, this water is unusually soft in character which leads, or so master brewer Masayuki Tanaka claims, to the particularly smooth quality of its sake.

Though some breweries use the Omachi rice for sake, very few use it to make a daiginjo class sake, so this particular sake is quite unusual and special for that fact alone. Per the standards for daiginjo class, a full 60% of the mass of each rice kernel has been polished away.

While Minogawa Shuzo produces a number of sakes, only a couple of their products are imported to the US. This sake comes in both 720ml and 180ml bottles, and the 180ml is particularly attractive with its light blue, hand blown glass

Tasting Notes:
Colorless in the glass this sake has a nose of pastry cream and the smell of good quality jasmine rice just as you lift the lid off the rice cooker. In the mouth it has excellent balance with a nice acidity, and very clean flavors of rainwater, floral essences, and a deeper, earthy and mineral quality which lingers powerfully into a remarkably long finish for a sake. Perhaps most strikingly this sake has a texture that makes me swoon, deeply silky and horribly sexy.

Food Pairing:
I recommend this sake with fish, noodle and egg dishes. It can stand up to sturdier and fattier foods quite well.

Overall Score: between 9.5 and 10

How Much?: $80 for 720ml, $18 for 180ml

This sake is available for purchase on the Internet.

Original post by default@goarticles.com (Levi Reiss)

Say what you want about the state of America, I know of no other place where it remains so imminently possible to realize your dreams. These days it takes a lot of money to do it, but this country is still one of the easiest places to decide that you want to achieve something, and then set out to do it.

This is especially true in the wine business which, despite being a far cry from the pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps success stories that typify the American Dream, continues to support those who decide to take their strongest passions and turn them into a reality.

The cynical might say that it is easy for rich people to live out their fantasies, but if you know anything about making wine, you know that there’s a lot of hard work involved, and especially so if you’re going to produce something good, rather than just a bottle with your name on it.

In fact, it’s hard enough to do that when people who simply dive in because they love wine manage to make something fantastic, it’s quite a surprise. Sort of like deciding you’re going to open a restaurant because you love food and getting a Michelin star or two. But while not commonplace, it certainly is a possibility in the wine world. Just ask Ken and Akiko Freeman.

Freeman Vineyard and Winery was born of Ken and Akiko’s mutual love of food and wine. The two met at a fateful garden party when the boat that Ken was crewing on was driven to port by a looming hurricane, and their love at first sight was soon cemented by their discovery that great Burgundy numbered in both their lists of the best things in life.

Their life together over the next 10 years revolved around three things: school (Ken would return for his MBA, while Akiko went back for a Masters in Art History), wine travel (to as many wine producing regions as they could manage), and business (all this while Ken brought the Discovery channel to Asia).

Returning to California in 1997 for Ken to take a job at CNET, the two decided that they wanted to set down roots in all senses of the word. As the Internet bubble swelled, Ken and Akiko began the hunt for a place to call home and a place to make their own wine. In 2001 they purchased a small winery in the town of Sebastopol in the heart of the Russian River Valley. Their goal was to simply make the best damn Pinot Noir they could.

And after having watched (and tasted) their efforts for the last few years since their initial vintage, I’d have to say they’re getting close. Close enough for it to not make much difference if they ever really meet their final goal, because the wines are consistently excellent.

Freeman Vineyards and Winery is a classic example of what I call an “estate-less winery,” a model that was popularized in the old world by the negociants of France, and which is gradually proving incredibly successful here in California. The Freemans own no vineyards (yet), only a winemaking facility and cellar. They purchase long term contracts for grapes with growers that let them be extremely hands-on with the vineyard management. Together with a contract winemaker, assistant winemaker, vineyard manager, and a small team of friends and family, they make small quantities of wine that bear the unmistakable signature of diligent and tender care just as they do the flavors of the soil they come from.

Freeman makes around 5,400 cases of mostly Pinot Noir from a couple of single vineyard sites around the Russian River valley, as well as a top cuvee named after Akiko that is their flagship wine each year. They also produce a Sonoma Coast designated Pinot Noir, and more recently a Chardonnay.

The winemaking regimen at Freeman, handled by winemaker Ed Kurtzmann (formerly of Chalone, Testarossa, and currently his own label, August West), is what you might expect from an artisan Pinot Noir producer. The grapes are babied in from the vineyard by hand, de-stemmed and fermented without crushing in small lots, and then mixed with the fermenting juice (”punched down”) several times per day by hand as the fermentation proceeds. The wines spend at least 11 months in French oak before spending another six in bottle before release.

The crown jewel of the Freeman portfolio for me has always been Akiko’s cuvee, which is a blend of “best-barrel” fruit from many vineyard sites and always embodies the best qualities of Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir.

Full disclosure: I received these wines as press samples.

TASTING NOTES:

2006 Freeman Vineyards and Winery Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley
Medium garnet in the glass, this wine has a bright, horsey nose that combines cranberry, plum, and faint barnyard aromas into a pleasing whole. In the mouth it is soft and velvety with pleasant but not resonant flavors of cranberry and cherry. Soft, even plush tannins guide the wine to a decent finish with hints of herbs. Good acidity plus tannins says to me that this wine will age well. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $40. Where to buy?

2006 Freeman Vineyards and Winery Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast
Light garnet in color, this wine smells of cranberries, herbs, and wet tree bark. In the mouth it has a beautiful texture and a dark loamy quality that is arresting even as bright acids dance on the palate. The primary flavors of cranberry and herbs are nicely balanced with this earthy quality, and remain so through a nice finish. Score: around 9. Cost: $45. Where to buy?

2006 Freeman Vineyards and Winery “Ryo-fu” Chadonnay, Russian River Valley
Light to medium gold in the glass, this wine smells of buttered popcorn in the best possible way. In the mouth that same bright buttered, almost savory flavor persists with a silky texture, only to be cut, slashed, and dazzled by a tempest of citrus zest and lemon curd that bounce on through a long, intense finish. Ryo-fu means “cold wind” in Japanese. Score: around 9. Cost: $40. Where to buy?

2006 Freeman Vineyards and Winery “Keefer Ranch” Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley
Light to medium garnet in color, this wine has a rich plum and pomegranate set of aromas that creep out of the glass to take hold of your senses with a velvet vise grip. In the mouth its initial impression is of intensity — smooth, silky and bursting with tart cherry and pomegranate flavors that are beautifully balanced with acidity and fine grained tannins. Hints of sandalwood and crabapple emerge on the long finish. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $40. Where to buy?

2006 Freeman “Akiko’s Cuvee” Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast
Light garnet in the glass, this wine has a pungent nose that, with the right memory, might instantly transport you to a misty ridge above the pacific with aromas of cedar and sea air mixed with redcurrant and cranberry. In the mouth it is soft — baby bottom soft — with bright, juicy flavors of cranberry, cherry, and amidst the nicely balanced acids and tannins, the faint traces of exotic spices that linger for a while, quietly. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $60. Where to buy?

Original post by default@goarticles.com (Levi Reiss)

From the late 1800’s to the first half of the twentieth century California represented a land of opportunity for many. In Northern California, this potential seems to have been realized in particular by Italian immigrants who settled North of San Francisco in great numbers, founding small towns up the coast and in the inland valleys. Drive Highway 1, Highway 12, Highway 116, and the Bohemian Highway North of the city and you’ll pass old barns and homesteads, country stores, and several Italian restaurants that have been operating continuously since at least the Thirties.

That these fiercely determined immigrants met with success here is evidenced by not only by the preponderance of these small towns and farming communities, but also that these same towns are, after several generations, still populated with Dinuccis and Gonnellas.

Garen Staglin grew up the son of one of those early Twentieth Century immigrants. His father, Pasquale Stagliano, later naturalized as Ramon Staglin, emigrated at the age of two with his family from Calabria, Italy and settled first in New York and later California. Like so many other immigrants, the Staglianos brought with them their love of food and wine and the central role they both play in family life.

It’s no wonder then that when Garen met with considerable success, going from UCLA to Stanford Business School to the corporate world, and then to boardrooms and the halls of Silicon Valley venture capital, he and his wife Sharalyn dreamed of owning a vineyard. Carefully biding their time, they finally found just what they were looking for.

In 1985 the Staglins purchased a very old, very large estate in Rutherford that for many years had been under the management of André Tchelistcheff, known by some as the “Godfather of California Cabernet.” Tchelistcheff managed this vineyard for Beaulieu Vineyards under the ownership of the La Tour family, and it was this 50-acre parcel that he selected for producing the vaunted BV Georges De La Tour Cabernet.

The Staglins took this vineyard and the adjoining ranch and literally transformed it, carefully replanting the vineyards with direction from Tchelistcheff and building an underground winery and a home for themselves in the style of an Italian villa.

Today, and for nearly the past twenty-five years, Staglin Family Vineyards has been winning praise for the small quantity of estate wine that it produces each year: 350 cases of Sangiovese and 2,000 cases of Chardonnay in addition to the slightly more than 6,000 cases of this Cabernet. They are certainly my favorite producer in Rutherford, and in my opinion, one of the top three producers in the appellation.

Winemaking is currently done by Fredrik Johansson, but I believe this vintage was made by then winemaker Celia Masyczek, who spent almost a decade making some of the most celebrated of Staglin’s wines before continuing her career as one of Napa’s superstar winemakers.

The wine is made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon grown organically on the Staglin Family estate in the shadow of Mt. St. John in the Mayacamus Range in an area known as the Rutherford Bench. After destemming and crushing, the berries cold soak before a fermentation that lasts anywhere from 14 to 28 days. After secondary fermentation is complete the wine is aged for 26 months in 100% French oak barrels, (65% of which are new).

Tasting Notes:
Medium ruby in color and showing little sign of its age, this wine has a nose of leather, cherry, and wet cedar bark aromas — distinctively an older California Cabernet. In the mouth it offers flavors of fresh and dried cherries, cinnamon, and what can only be described as both the flavor and texture of the softest suede. A long finish completes a very satisfying experience that, if tinged with anything other than pleasure, might be said to involve a little regret at drinking this wine now, as it clearly has a good decade ahead of it.

Food Pairing:
I drank this wine with a nicely grilled filet mignon and fresh vegetables, which is certainly a classic pairing.

Overall Score: between 9 and 9.5

How Much?: This vintage can be had at auction or select retailers for around $120

This wine can be purchased online.

Original post by default@goarticles.com (Andrea Cardelli)

In the Silicon Valley, business incubation is quite common — larger companies often provide financial, operations, and moral support to smaller companies that they themselves have started, or outside start-ups that they believe have a good potential for success. This practice has become so normal that some companies have established entire business models based on incubation.

Incubation has also become common in the wine industry, where the costs of all the equipment and supplies required to make wine can be an extreme barrier to entry, and a source of extremely high overhead for those who do take the plunge. Just like a larger company might rent out some cubes and offer guidance to a smaller company, so to do wineries offer the use of their equipment to smaller producers using the fees from such services to defray the costs of their capital investments.

But incubation in the wine industry does not only happen as a matter of economic convenience, it often happens simply because, frankly, most folks in the wine industry can’t help themselves — they love making wine.

Jeff Cohn comes to winemaking from the world of food and hospitality. He fell in love with eating and drinking in his twenties and decided that he was going to make them his career, heading off for a degree in culinary arts, which was followed by a degree in hospitality management.

His early career saw him as the food and beverage director for Windjammer Barefoot Cruises and then later the manager of a Washington, D.C gourmet store.

During the ten years of his hospitality career, Cohn fell deeper and deeper in love with wine, and by 1993 he couldn’t take it any longer. Enrolling in a masters program in agricultural chemistry, Cohn emerged with a degree emphasizing enology, and was promptly hired by Rosenblum Cellars as its staff enologist.

That same year, Kent Rosenblum allowed Cohn to make a little of his own wine on the side — around 70 cases of Zinfandel — and JC Cellars was born.

You’d think that winemakers would be pretty busy folks — lots to worry about as grapes come piling into the winery by the truckload, dozens of fermentation tanks, hundreds of barrels — and that they wouldn′t exactly have time for dabbling here and there. But I don′t know a single winemaker that doesn′t have some small side project going, whether it’s a little experiment with a new cooperage, a new source of grapes, a consulting project for a little extra cash, or their own private label.

Such activities make for a lot of late nights for winemakers around harvest time, but somehow they manage to pull it off, and Cohn was no exception. He gradually built up a small business on the side, thanks to Rosenblum’s help, and Rosenblum customers got used to shopping at J.C. Cellars after they arrived to pick up their wines at Rosenblum.

By 2000, Jeff was Rosenblum’s winemaker and he had convinced owner Kent Rosenblum to add Rhone style wines (Syrah, Viognier, and Marsanne) to the portfolio, and J.C. Cellars was a steadily growing success. In 2004 Cohn was named vice president of winemaking and production, but in 2006, the time had come to focus all his efforts on J.C. Cellars.

Managed by himself and his wife Alexandra, the winery now produces about 5000 cases of wine and is the poster child for “in-winery” incubation of a new brand. The fledgling winery got its start in the protective shadow of Rosenblum but is now a completely independent entity, and one of America’s most highly regarded small wineries, with an unusual amount of critical acclaim for the wines.

The J.C. Cellars portfolio consists of mostly single vineyard wines, with an emphasis on the Rhone varietals — Syrah, Petite Sirah, and Viognier — plus some Zinfandel thrown in for good measure. Cohn sources grapes from small producers throughout Northern California with long term contracts that allow him to work closely with growers to tailor the fruit to his specific liking.

The wines are made in small batches that are carefully crafted to showcase each specific grape source, from the yeasts to the barrels, to the durations of time that the wines spend in contact with the skins.

Cohn’s wines have a reputation for power and brawn, richness and opulence. They have conjured the adjective “hedonistic” from many. These are accurate characterizations, but I find the wines somewhat more restrained on the whole than other producers that elicit similar descriptions. Cohn’s wines are nothing if not carefully and lovingly made, and this is easy to taste.

Full disclosure: I received these wines as press samples.

TASTING NOTES:

2007 JC Cellars Rockpile Vineyard Rose, Rockpile, Sonoma
Pale ruby in color, this rose of Syrah smells of alpine strawberries and rosehips. On the palate it is bright and silky with bouncy flavors of strawberry and cherry that remain firmly (thank god) in the territory of dryness, making this an excellent, refreshing wine of which to drink many glasses. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $18. Where to buy?

2005 JC Cellars “Rockpile Vineyard” Syrah, Rockpile, Sonoma
Nearly opaque garnet in the glass this wine has a rich sultry nose of earth and black cherry aromas. In the mouth it is silky and thick with flavors of black cherry, leather, earth, and black currant. Dusty tannins emerge as the wine heads to a long finish. Big and brawny, this wine will please lovers of big Syrahs to no end. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $45. Not yet released.

2005 JC Cellars “Ventana Vineyard″ Syrah, Monterey
A cloudy medium ruby in the glass, this wine has a nose of white pepper, cassis, and black cherry. In the mouth it comes across as spicy, with continued flavors of white pepper, blackberry, and mixed spices. Lean and less bombastic than some of the other wines from this producer, but no less pleasant for it. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $45. Not yet released.

2006 J.C. Cellars “California Cuvee” Syrah, California
Medium to dark garnet in color, this wine smells of homemade blackberry jam and rose petals. In the mouth it offers flavors of cassis, blackberry, cola, and caramel notes, that head towards a finish with some heat on it. Decent acid, and imperceptible tannins, but the wine doesn’t quite hold together as much as you might like. Feels a bit disjointed. Score: between 8 and 8.5. Cost: $25. Where to buy?

2005 J.C. Cellars “Caldwell Vineyards” Syrah, Napa
Inky garnet in the glass, this wine smells of well oiled leather, black cherry, and earth. In the mouth it offers black cherry, blackberry, and deeper woodier flavors. Good acidity and silky texture make for a very pleasant feeling in the mouth and a long finish. Score: around 9. Cost: $45. Where to buy?

Original post by default@goarticles.com (Andrea Cardelli)

Stop the presses — no, wait, this isn’t printed. OK, stop the Internet — I found an excellent nigori sake!

Nigori is the White Zinfandel of sake. It’s tremendously popular, particularly with people just discovering sake. It tends to be very sweet. And experts turn up their noses at it, usually with good reason.

Nigori sakes are white and cloudy because they contain bits of rice that didn’t complete fermentation. They have an interesting, chewy texture. What turns off sake aficionados, more than their sweetness, is their lack of complexity — you don’t get the fruity, floral flavors and aromas that are the hallmark of quality sakes. Nigori sake reminds me of amazake, a warm, sweet, nonalcoholic rice drink sold at winter festivals in Japan. Imagine saying that a wine reminds you of cocoa.

John Gauntner wrote in 2005 on his authoritative sake-world site, “I have not had a full glass of nigori-zake in at least umpteen years, maybe more.”

I’m generally in the ABN (anything but nigori) crowd myself. Just as with White Zin, I think nigori sakes are great for the industry because they introduce new drinkers who can move up later. But I don’t order White Zin off the wine list either, even the reserve list.

Here’s an example of the U.S. market affecting Japanese sake production: enough people here like nigori sakes, and are willing to spend money for them, that a few companies make upscale versions. (There’s a difference from white Zin; the most expensive white Zin I could find online was $14.99.)

For Kamoizumi brewery in Hiroshima prefecture, making a premium nigori falls in line with company history.

The Maekake family who run Kamoizumi committed to unfiltered junmai production in 1971 when most of Japan insisted on charcoal filtering. Where most breweries saw impurities, Kamoizumi tasted complexities. But Kamoizumi junmais had a touch of color at a time when all sakes were expected to be clear. That decision had to be a lot more difficult than the decision to take Nigori upscale.

Kamoizumi “Summer Snow” Nigori Ginjo is good enough to seduce an ABN drinker. In fact, my bottle emptied with surprising alacrity.

Hiroshima is known for its soft water, a good base to start from. This sake is not chunky instead it has a viscous mouthfeel. Yet it also rings with acidity and is not at all like the sweet, stewy nigoris that dominate the market.

Tasting Notes:
There’s a strong olive-oil note in aroma and flavor, something I don’t usually detect in sake. You also taste notes of white peach, cream (of course), lemon zest and clay. The medium-long finish never cloys. It’s only very slightly sweet; with an SMV of +1, it’s akin to a German halbtrocken Riesling. I have tasted many expensive non-white Zinfandels that have more residual sugar than this.

It’s the best nigori sake I’ve ever had. Is that damning with faint praise? No, but at the same time I’m not sure it’s convincing to the typical nigori drinker, since I’m openly ABN. Yet I really liked this sake; my bottle emptied rapidly. If nigori is the White Zinfandel of sake, this one’s the dry Pinot Noir-based rose.

Food Pairing:
Appropriately for an American-targeted product, this sake would work with American-style sushi, like spicy tuna roll, which overwhelms the delicate flavors of daiginjos, for example. The viscous mouthfeel makes it an interesting partner for rich-tasting fish, like salmon sashimi or steamed sablefish. I actually had it with slightly spicy Chinese food (salt and pepper squid, pea sprouts with garlic) and it was outstanding.

Overall Score: around 9

How much?: $28

Wine country is now 15 minutes from downtown San Francisco, thanks to the surge in wine producers that are popping up all over the East Bay (and in San Francisco proper, too!). Oakland, Alameda, and Berkeley are now home to more than a dozen wineries that range in size from a couple of people and a couple of barrels, to some of California’s most lauded wineries.

A couple of years ago, these wineries got together and formed a marketing association that would help them all gain more visibility. This organization, known as the East Bay Vintners Alliance, has begun to put on yearly tastings to showcase the wines of its members and make good on the promise of an urban wine country in the East Bay.

I had a chance to sneak off to Oakland a couple of weeks ago on a picture perfect sunny day and hang out with the hundreds of Bay Area wine lovers that showed up to sample wines and special food pairings from some great restaurants in the area.

The event was, as far as I can tell, a smashing success. The weather alone would have made it a pleasant enough experience, but the food was quite good, including a huge cheese spread that I made several passes on once I had finished tasting all the wines.

This was my first opportunity to sample wines from all the members of the Vintners Alliance, and I’m happy to report that there’s some truly great wine being made in the East Bay’s urban wineries, and not just by the established names like J.C. Cellars, Dashe, and Rosenblum. There were a number of wines that were not to my taste, but the bulk of the wines were competently made and if they weren’t all spectacular, they certainly all showed both the hard work as well as promise of several new small producers.

My scores from my tasting follow below. Prices quoted are the suggested retail price for purchase direct from the winery.

Photo courtesy of John Joh.

Scores for the 3rd Annual Urban Wine Experience

WINES SCORING BETWEEN 9 AND 9.5
2007 Dashe Cellars Zinfandel L′Enfant Terrible McFadden Farms, Potter Valley. $24.00
2006 Dashe Cellars Zinfandel Todd Brothers Ranch, Alexander Valley. $32.00
2006 JC Cellars Marsanne Preston Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley. $32.00
2007 Rosenblum Cellars Viognier Kathy’s Cuvee.Winery only.
2006 Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel Kontrabecki. Winery only.

WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 9
2006 Aubin Cellars Verve French Colombard Domaine de Mirail, Cotes de Gascone. $12.00
2007 Dashe Cellars Dry Riesling McFadden Farms, Potter Valley. $20.00
2006 Eno Wines Grenache “Yes, Dear…” Eagle Point Ranch, Mendocino. $28.00
2007 JC Cellars Rose Stagecoach Vineyard, Napa Valley. $18.00
2007 Prospect 772 Rosé “Babydoll” Sierra Foothills. $15.00
2006 Rosenblum Cellars Petite Sirah Pickett Road. Winery only.

WINES SCORING BETWEEN 8.5 AND 9
2006 Andrew Lane Gamay Noir, Napa Valley. $19.00
2005 Andrew Lane Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley. $28.00
2006 Dashe Cellars Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley. $24.00
2006 Eno Wines Pinot Noir “Never Say Never” Santa Lucia Highlands. $32.00
2006 Eno Wines Zinfandel “Acres of Happiness” Teldeschi Vyds Dry Creek Valley. $28.00
2005 Eno Wines Syrah “S05″ Las Madres Vineyard, Carneros. $35.00
2006 JC Cellars Syrah California Cuveé . $25.00
2006 Lost Canyon Winery Pinot Noir Morelli Lane, Russian River Valley. $42.00
2006 Lost Canyon Winery Pinot Noir Saralee, Russian River Valley. $42.00
2006 Prospect 772 Grenache/Syrah “The Brawler” Sierra Foothills. $36.00
2006 Rosenblum Cellars Rosie Rabbit Late Harvest Zinfandel Winery only.
2007 Two Mile Wines Viognier Bloomfield Vineyards , Central Coast . $23.00
NV Adam′s Point White After Dinner Wine. $16.00

WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 8.5
2005 Andrew Lane Cabernet Franc, Oakville. $35.00
2005 Andrew Lane Merlot, Napa Valley. $17.00
2006 A Donkey And Goat Three Thirteen (Southern Rhône style blend). $37.00
2006 A Donkey And Goat Syrah The Recluse, Anderson Valley. $37.00
2006 Lost Canyon Winery Reserve Syrah Trenton Station, Russian River Valley. $35.00
2006 Prospect 772 Syrah “The Brat″ Sierra Foothills. $36.00
2006 Tayerle Wines Carneros Pinot Noir . $30.00
2007 Urbano Cellars Vin Rose Solano County Green Valley. $14.00
2006 Urbano Cellars Syrah Dry Creek Valley. $19.00
NV Adam’s Point Mango Dessert Wine. $16.00
NV Adam′s Point Persimmon Dessert Wine. $16.00

WINES SCORING BETWEEN 8 AND 8.5
2006 Irish Monkey Cabernet Franc, Lodi. $29.00
2006 Aubin Cellars Verve Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast. $28.00
2005 Aubin Cellars Verve Syrah Columbia Valley. $26.00
2006 Aubin Cellars Verve Sauvignon Blanc Paso Robles. $14.00
2006 Tayerle Wines Savignon Blanc Villa San Julliette . $12.00
2006 Two Mile Wines Petite Sirah Rosciano Vineyards, Dry Creek Valley. $34.00

WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 8
2006 Lost Canyon Winery Syrah Alegria, Russian River Valley. $35.00
2006 Periscope Cellars Deep 6, California(6 Grape Red Blend). $24.00
2006 Urbano Cellars Petit Verdot Lodi. $16.00

WINES SCORING BETWEEN 7.5 AND 8
2006 Irish Monkey Syrah Lovall - Borneman Lavender Farm. $26.00
2006 Periscope Cellars Sangiovese, Alexander Valley. $22.00
2006 Two Mile Wines Sangiovese Polesky-Lentz Vineyards, Dry Creek Valley. $42.00
2005 Urbano Cellars Old Vine Zinfandel Solano County Green Valley. $18.00

WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 7.5
2006 Periscope Cellars Petite Verdot, Lodi. $18.00

WINES SCORING BETWEEN 7 AND 7.5
2006 Irish Monkey Cabernet Sauvignon, “MEF”. $35.00

WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 7
2006 Irish Monkey Primitivo Lovall Valley, Napa Valley. $30.00

WINES WITH A SCORE BELOW 7
2006 Periscope Cellars Zinfandel, Sonoma County. $20.00
NV Adam’s Point Chocolate Dessert Wine. $16.50

Original post by default@goarticles.com (Levi Reiss)

Wine country is now 15 minutes from downtown San Francisco, thanks to the surge in wine producers that are popping up all over the East Bay (and in San Francisco proper, too!). Oakland, Alameda, and Berkeley are now home to more than a dozen wineries that range in size from a couple of people and a couple of barrels, to some of California’s most lauded wineries.

A couple of years ago, these wineries got together and formed a marketing association that would help them all gain more visibility. This organization, known as the East Bay Vintners Alliance, has begun to put on yearly tastings to showcase the wines of its members and make good on the promise of an urban wine country in the East Bay.

I had a chance to sneak off to Oakland a couple of weeks ago on a picture perfect sunny day and hang out with the hundreds of Bay Area wine lovers that showed up to sample wines and special food pairings from some great restaurants in the area.

The event was, as far as I can tell, a smashing success. The weather alone would have made it a pleasant enough experience, but the food was quite good, including a huge cheese spread that I made several passes on once I had finished tasting all the wines.

This was my first opportunity to sample wines from all the members of the Vintners Alliance, and I’m happy to report that there’s some truly great wine being made in the East Bay’s urban wineries, and not just by the established names like J.C. Cellars, Dashe, and Rosenblum. There were a number of wines that were not to my taste, but the bulk of the wines were competently made and if they weren’t all spectacular, they certainly all showed both the hard work as well as promise of several new small producers.

My scores from my tasting follow below. Prices quoted are the suggested retail price for purchase direct from the winery.

Photo courtesy of John Joh.

Scores for the 3rd Annual Urban Wine Experience

WINES SCORING BETWEEN 9 AND 9.5
2007 Dashe Cellars Zinfandel L’Enfant Terrible McFadden Farms, Potter Valley. $24.00
2006 Dashe Cellars Zinfandel Todd Brothers Ranch, Alexander Valley. $32.00
2006 JC Cellars Marsanne Preston Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley. $32.00
2007 Rosenblum Cellars Viognier Kathy’s Cuvee.Winery only.
2006 Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel Kontrabecki. Winery only.

WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 9
2006 Aubin Cellars Verve French Colombard Domaine de Mirail, Cotes de Gascone. $12.00
2007 Dashe Cellars Dry Riesling McFadden Farms, Potter Valley. $20.00
2006 Eno Wines Grenache “Yes, Dear…” Eagle Point Ranch, Mendocino. $28.00
2007 JC Cellars Rose Stagecoach Vineyard, Napa Valley. $18.00
2007 Prospect 772 Rosé “Babydoll” Sierra Foothills. $15.00
2006 Rosenblum Cellars Petite Sirah Pickett Road. Winery only.

WINES SCORING BETWEEN 8.5 AND 9
2006 Andrew Lane Gamay Noir, Napa Valley. $19.00
2005 Andrew Lane Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley. $28.00
2006 Dashe Cellars Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley. $24.00
2006 Eno Wines Pinot Noir “Never Say Never” Santa Lucia Highlands. $32.00
2006 Eno Wines Zinfandel “Acres of Happiness” Teldeschi Vyds Dry Creek Valley. $28.00
2005 Eno Wines Syrah “S05″ Las Madres Vineyard, Carneros. $35.00
2006 JC Cellars Syrah California Cuveé . $25.00
2006 Lost Canyon Winery Pinot Noir Morelli Lane, Russian River Valley. $42.00
2006 Lost Canyon Winery Pinot Noir Saralee, Russian River Valley. $42.00
2006 Prospect 772 Grenache/Syrah “The Brawler” Sierra Foothills. $36.00
2006 Rosenblum Cellars Rosie Rabbit Late Harvest Zinfandel Winery only.
2007 Two Mile Wines Viognier Bloomfield Vineyards , Central Coast . $23.00
NV Adam’s Point White After Dinner Wine. $16.00

WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 8.5
2005 Andrew Lane Cabernet Franc, Oakville. $35.00
2005 Andrew Lane Merlot, Napa Valley. $17.00
2006 A Donkey And Goat Three Thirteen (Southern Rhône style blend). $37.00
2006 A Donkey And Goat Syrah The Recluse, Anderson Valley. $37.00
2006 Lost Canyon Winery Reserve Syrah Trenton Station, Russian River Valley. $35.00
2006 Prospect 772 Syrah “The Brat” Sierra Foothills. $36.00
2006 Tayerle Wines Carneros Pinot Noir . $30.00
2007 Urbano Cellars Vin Rose Solano County Green Valley. $14.00
2006 Urbano Cellars Syrah Dry Creek Valley. $19.00
NV Adam’s Point Mango Dessert Wine. $16.00
NV Adam’s Point Persimmon Dessert Wine. $16.00

WINES SCORING BETWEEN 8 AND 8.5
2006 Irish Monkey Cabernet Franc, Lodi. $29.00
2006 Aubin Cellars Verve Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast. $28.00
2005 Aubin Cellars Verve Syrah Columbia Valley. $26.00
2006 Aubin Cellars Verve Sauvignon Blanc Paso Robles. $14.00
2006 Tayerle Wines Savignon Blanc Villa San Julliette . $12.00
2006 Two Mile Wines Petite Sirah Rosciano Vineyards, Dry Creek Valley. $34.00

WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 8
2006 Lost Canyon Winery Syrah Alegria, Russian River Valley. $35.00
2006 Periscope Cellars Deep 6, California(6 Grape Red Blend). $24.00
2006 Urbano Cellars Petit Verdot Lodi. $16.00

WINES SCORING BETWEEN 7.5 AND 8
2006 Irish Monkey Syrah Lovall - Borneman Lavender Farm. $26.00
2006 Periscope Cellars Sangiovese, Alexander Valley. $22.00
2006 Two Mile Wines Sangiovese Polesky-Lentz Vineyards, Dry Creek Valley. $42.00
2005 Urbano Cellars Old Vine Zinfandel Solano County Green Valley. $18.00

WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 7.5
2006 Periscope Cellars Petite Verdot, Lodi. $18.00

WINES SCORING BETWEEN 7 AND 7.5
2006 Irish Monkey Cabernet Sauvignon, “MEF”. $35.00

WINES WITH A SCORE AROUND 7
2006 Irish Monkey Primitivo Lovall Valley, Napa Valley. $30.00

WINES WITH A SCORE BELOW 7
2006 Periscope Cellars Zinfandel, Sonoma County. $20.00
NV Adam’s Point Chocolate Dessert Wine. $16.50

Original post by default@goarticles.com (Andrea Cardelli)