Tag Archives: fine wine

December 11, 2013 · 6:14 PM

2007 Delectus Syrah Mt. George Vineyard

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Delectus Syrah Mount George Vineyard

California, Napa Valley

Wine Tasting Note:

Strong alcohol on the nose. Hard to pick-up the other aromas. The palate is much more balanced. Less complex than I would have hoped for an old-world style mid-priced syrah, but it was still very enjoyable. Fruit-forward blackberry, plum and black currant flavors moving to rich dark chocolate and a short bitter finish. Good effort on the texture… not silky, or velvetty, but still soft and refined. An amazing feat, considering the alcohol content at 15.8%. Medium tannins and medium-high acidity. The value here was good for a Napa Syrah with some old-world character. Though, this was missing the cool climate complexity I would expect from this style, in higher priced wines.

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December 7, 2013 · 2:16 PM

2009 d’Arenberg The Laughing Magpie

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d’Arenberg The Laughing Magpie

Australia, McLaren Vale

Wine Tasting Note:

This is not a typical Aussie fruit bomb. 92% shiraz and 8% vognier. Northern Rhone in its way… grapey nose with creme brulee and cinammon. Definitely give this at least a 30 min decant. Directly out of the bottle, this is very smooth, but watery and the flavors are off-putting – like grape candy. As it opens, it becomes more complex. The palate hits you first with black table grapes and blackberry. The mid-palate has black-currant moving into a long bitter dark chocolate finish. I have tasted other syrah blends like this and the viognier (8% is too much?) had the same effect on the nose and palate. The acidity is medium-high, but the tannins are mostly hidden until decanted, then they reveal themselves in a fairly big way as chewy and medium-high. Has a little bit of that Northern Rhone oily, tar characteristic, but no olive tapenade and earthiness. The grapey fruit flavor begins to subside after an hour, but is still too much. At this stage of its life, this would not be much of a food wine, although it has the backbone for it. I enjoyed it as an aperitif (after decant) and for $20/btl, it was a good value. This may just be too young. I am thinking after 3-5 years, the fruit may subside a bit and allow other flavors to present. It certainly has the backbone to allow aging. Will tuck the others away for a few years and see if it has the potential to improve, as I hope.

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December 3, 2013 · 9:44 PM

2010 Caligiore Malbec Reserve

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Caligiore Malbec Reserve

Argentina, Mendoza, Lujan de Cuyo

Wine Tasting Note:

Nose of plum and blackberry with cooked green bell pepper vegetal undertones. Palate of blackberry, black currant and oak in front with a short finish of smokey tar. Medium acidity and medium-low tannins. The backbone is lacking. Texture becomes a bit watery. Not the big, textured, fruity malbec that I have come to equate with Mendoza, but interesting enough. Value is about right at $14/btl.

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November 29, 2013 · 11:37 AM

Perfect Wine?

How can any wine critic score a wine at a perfect 100?  This is one critic’s explanation at Wine Spectator Magazine:  http://www.winespectator.com/blogs/show/id/49223.

Wine Critics Impartial?

There are aspects of this piece that I agree with, especially with regard to defining wine as a snapshot of a moment in time.  The wine experience is definitely more than a scientific examination of flavor components.  This is a major reason why I was taken by wine in the first place.  Yes, of course your situation and surroundings will affect your scoring of the wine, but aren’t the critic’s reviews as an authoritative resource supposed to be impartial… and therefore tasting should occur in a neutral environment?  The more I learn about wine critics and their approach to scoring wine, the more I have come to ignore them.

Wine Critics Consistently Over-Score Wines

This drives me crazy!  I have been moving towards placing more weight on collector’s reviews for several years now.  CellarTracker scores are consistently 3-4 points lower than Parker, Kramer, Robinson, Galloni. Although, Stephen Tanzer seems a bit more conservative, if you look at a cross-section. Take some time to compare and you will see for yourself.  At least their ratings are consistent in this regard, so the scores are not likely to be a bias towards a given producer.  It almost seems as if they all want to believe the wine is better than it actually is?  Is this some subtle coordinated promotional effort to advance the wine industry as a whole?

Perfect Wine, Ah… Really?

Here are a few recent Robert Parker, Jr. perfect 100’s that I have enjoyed:

2010 Shafer Vineyards Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon

2006 Alban Vineyards Syrah Reva Alban Estate Vineyard

2007 Bryant Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

2007 Schrader Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon CCS

I am sorry, but the Bryant Family IMHO did not belong on this list, but I digress.  Of course, anytime you discuss RP you have to take into account his penchant for big fruity wines.  Still, are these perfect scores based on his perception when tasted, or based on projecting their profile after bottle-aging?  I wouldn’t choose any of these, keeping the  divergent criteria in mind.  Don’t get me wrong , three of these were great wines and the fourth pretty damn good too, but perfect?  I have tasted perfectly balanced 5 year old cabernet in an approachable style from Ladera, or a huge fruity, tannic monster from O’Shaughnessy that would be superior (IMO) after 10-15 years.  Although, I wouldn’t score these at 100 either.

Can a 100 Point Perfect Wine Exist?

Everyone’s palate is different AND wine truly is enhanced by the environment in which it is being consumed AND obviously the wine critics make little effort to taste in a neutral environment…  Of the wines I have enjoyed most in my life and matched my palate best, I would give none of them a perfect 100.  In each case, there was something about them that could have been a little better.  Now, I WILL say… some have been drunk in perfect settings, and I will remember them clearly my entire life!

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November 27, 2013 · 9:54 PM

2009 Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon

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2009 Atlas Peak Cabernet Sauvignon

California, Napa Valley

Wine Tasting Note:

Blackberry, plum and vanilla on the nose. Simple palate of black fruit and a touch of bitter chocolate and oak on a medium-short finish. Medium tannins and medium-high acidity. The texture is a bit watery. Nice backbone here, but the structure is missing a mid-palate entirely. Enjoyable every day drinker from Napa Valley that represents a reasonable value. Unfortunately, there is no complexity to this wine. Other vintages have been better.

Wine Tasting Note – UPDATE 2/20/2014:

2nd Bottle of half case:

Second bottle after four months in storage has changed enough to be worthy of note. It is rare to see wine in this price range improve with age. The evaluation is essentially the same as above, but the texture is becoming more silky and the tannins more refined. At least for now, this is continuing to improve.  The same comment holds regarding simplicity, although a short aging window seems to have continued to soften the wine, making it more enjoyable. I wish this wine could magically become more interesting, but for the price, this is a very nice daily drinker.

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November 26, 2013 · 10:28 PM

2009 Domaine Drouhin Laurene Oregon Pinot Noir

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Domaine Drouhin Laurene Pinot Noir

Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills

Wine Tasting Note:

The nose has red fruit and earth, with a floral influence. The palate begins with fresh red cherry under-pinned with a delicate floral note. The mid-palate transitions to black cherry and spice, then a medium short finish of earth and bitter chocolate. Medium-high acidity with slightly dusty tannins. The texture was initially silky, but became watery quickly on the mid-palate. You notice the alcohol on the finish. This wine needs more time in the cellar to reach its potential. There was a lot more going on here than a simple, fruity new-world pinot. This was very feminine in character, with a solid backbone. Another 5 years of bottle-aging and I would expect this will be very elegant and composed. I can envision this as a 10 year old pinot reaching its drinking window… add a little barnyard on the nose and Burgundy comes to mind!

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November 19, 2013 · 10:03 PM

Should the French AOC System be Changed?

In a country where consumption of table wine is decreasing, you would think the government run wine industry (for all intents & purposes) would figure it out. There is a huge export market for reasonably priced, quality wines. Why shouldn’t the moderately priced producers in Bordeaux be allowed to use the Bordeaux name and relax the regs?

French Wine Laws Need to be Revised

As a consumer, I resent Bordeaux as a wine region.  If I want to explore the very best of Napa, I can afford it on a splurge.  The very best in Bordeaux is priced very close to insanity.  It has created a backlash with many consumers.  A perception of the damn cultural elite, dictating accessibility, creating an image that does not appeal to the average wine drinker.  It doesn’t need to be like this.  Bordeaux is at a cross-roads.  The majority of wine production in Bordeaux is actually more reasonably priced, but I rarely buy affordable Bordeaux.  With declining consumption in France, what will happen to the wine classifications Vin de Table, and Vin de Pays?  The answer should be:  allow a product geared for the export market to be developed.  Very similar to what Italy has done with the “IGT” designation.

French Wine Laws That Make Sense

I will now introduce sacrilege to the discussion… beyond the 1st-5th Growth wineries, the rest should buck the system and start a co-op outside of the AOC system and pool marketing dollars to enter new export markets.  Relax the production requirements to allow more accessible, new-world styles.  Permit label changes to make them more understandable for the typical New World consumer.  Spend money advertising  to introduce these new wines to the world… AND allow them to use the “Bordeaux” name.  

The Horror!

Why would this be so crazy?  If I had the cash to invest, I would learn French and reach out myself to get these winemakers to leave the system and step out on their own.  A group of value priced Bordeaux producers banding together and pursuing export markets outside of the limitations of the AOC system?  Wouldn’t that ruffle a few feathers?

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November 16, 2013 · 6:06 PM

2007 Geyser Peak Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Walking Tree Vineyard

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Geyser Peak Winery

California, Alexander Valley

Wine Tasting Note:

Powerful aromatic nose of black fruit, spice and vanilla. Fruit forward palate of blackberry, red plum and black currant. High acidity with medium tannins. Tasted this last year. Still the same big fruit, but the tannins are beginning to soften and it is developing some texture. Needed a little time for the alcohol to blow off. The complexity is improving with the addition of more bitter chocolate in the mid-palate and a short finish with some graphite coming through. The tannins are starting to moderate and I like a red wine with some backbone, so I am going to say this wine is in its optimum drinking window. Drink now and the next couple of years, at most. At $18/btl, this wine has my vote for the best value cab sauv in California. I would expect a wine of this caliber to be in the $30-35 range in Sonoma County. I prefer not to put a number to wines if I can, but in this case I will put that aside and give it an 89. It needs more minerality, the mid-palate and finish could be stronger and the texture wasn’t there to be rated higher, but for that kind of price… this is impressive!

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November 14, 2013 · 9:19 PM

Can Wine Education be Fun and Interesting?

I hold consumer wine education programs, typically at wine bars and restaurants. The classes are intended to draw additional traffic to the venues to build a clientele and drive paired food revenue… but ultimately, consumers are drawn by the desire for wine knowledge.

What Consumers Want to Know

Through a few years of experience I have found what works and what doesn’t.  You can put people to sleep with the information that interested me in my formal training… history of wine production and regions, impact of terroir on flavors, impact of wine making techniques on the wine, etc.  What do people enjoy learning about?

Wine – Food Flavor Pairings

Learning how different food flavors impact the perception of the white, red, sweet wines, etc.  Setting up paired tastings to reinforce the concept.  Most are very surprised how food impacts wine.  It is rare to find casual wine drinkers that have explored this.

What are Those Flavors I am Tasting in Cabernet, or Merlot?

People want help learning standard varietal profiles.  Take them through the blind tasting process and how to create wine tasting notes.  They want to know how to talk about wine with others.  Blind taste a few for the wow factor.

How Do I Describe What I Enjoy to Wine Attendants?

Teach them how to describe their wine preferences to assist in wine selection at restaurants and wine bars.

How Do I Select Wines to Purchase Based on My Preferences?

Walk through a wine selection process based on that description, without tasting the wine.

Would I Enjoy Exploring the Diversity in Wine?

Introduce people to the diversity of flavors in wine and provide specific examples.

Would I Enjoy Wine Travel?

Discuss wine travel and destinations – relate stories of individual wineries, their beauty and ambiance.

ULTIMATELY, MOST PEOPLE WANT WINE TO BE FUN!

When I first began presenting these programs, I was disappointed people were not interested in the academic side.  Took a few to understand, they don’t want to talk about bottle aging, cellaring strategies, AOC & DOC labeling laws…  People just want to learn how to facilitate buying wine they enjoy and how to enhance their shared wine experience with friends.

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November 11, 2013 · 7:11 PM

2010 Robert Oatley Vineyards, James Oatley TIC TOK Cabernet Sauvignon

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Robert Oatley Vineyards

Australia, Western Australia

Wine Tasting Note:

Nose of alcohol, red raspberry and spice. High acidity and medium tannins. For a low alcohol cabernet, the alcohol is obvious. The palate is full of fresh red raspberry and strawberry up front with a subtle mid-palate that introduces faint elements of eucalyptus and vanilla. The wine has a short finish of bitter, sour cherry. I found the complexity of flavors interesting, but the texture was watery and the elements didn’t come together well. This seems like a low-priced attempt at an old-world style wine, from a new-world producer. For a $10/btl cab sauv pretty decent, but I would rather spend an extra few bucks and purchase something a bit more enjoyable for a daily drinker.

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