23 August 2010 2007 Hirsch Vineyards San Andreas Pinot Noir

2007 Hirsch Vineyards San Andreas Pinot Noir

August 23, 2010 By

'07 Hirsch Vineyards Pinot Noir

Enjoyed a bottle of this wine at lovely Cyrus in Healdsburg, CA and thought it was a well-balanced example of coastal Sonoma Pinot Noir.

Saying a Pinot Noir tastes like cherries is like saying a cab goes well with a steak – obvious.  In this case though, the cherries are succulent and very ripe with dark berry and chocolate undertones.  There’s a nice level of tannins in this above-par wine and the spicy finish lingers on and on.

This wine reminded me of some of the refined Burgundies I’ve enjoyed over the years.  Great example of California Pinot that is a must-try, even at a higher price point.

Around $65.

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15 August 2010 2007 Katherine Goldschmidt Crazy Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

2007 Katherine Goldschmidt Crazy Creek Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon

August 15, 2010 By

'07 Katherine Goldschmidt Cab

Bought this wine as my 2nd bottle (to be drunk after a great bottle) for a dinner party featuring grilled tenderloin and was pleasantly surprised by it.  It quickly became the star of the evening.

Sipped it upon uncorking it and it was tight and young.  After decanting it for 90 minutes, it was elegant, rich and structured.  Beautiful black raspberry nose and rich ripe cherry, meaty mouthfeel.  Fantastic pricepoint for such a nice wine.

Around $20.

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24 July 2010 2006 Chateau Montelena Zinfandel

2006 Chateau Montelena Zinfandel

July 24, 2010 By

Chateau Montelena Zin

I had the pleasure of tasting this wine at a small event hosted by Chateau Montelena winemaker, Bo Barrett earlier this year and thought it was a solid wine for a winery mostly focused on Cabernet Sauvignon.

The wine is beautiful in the glass with the darkest purple hue.  On the nose, it’s oaky with tons of black fruit: blackberries, ripe raspberries and currant.  On the palate, it’s what makes Zinfandel fans so loyal to the grape, spiciness, dried cherry with a big meaty mouthfeel and just the right amount of tannins.  Well balanced with a long spiced finish.

Affordable for most and an ideal wine for those late afternoon BBQs where grilled red meat’s the star.

Around $30.

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25 May 2010 2006 Matanzas Creek Cabernet Sauvignon

2006 Matanzas Creek Cabernet Sauvignon

May 25, 2010 By
2006 Matanzas Creek Cabernet Sauvignon

2006 Matanzas Creek Cabernet Sauvignon

The 2006 Matanzas Creek Cabernet Sauvignon shows tons of red berries and smoky notes on the nose.  This medium-bodied, fruit-forward wine shows nice acidity and pleasant tannins that can be softened with a few minutes in the decanter.

Around $32.

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2007 Alta Vista Atemporal Blend

April 8, 2010 By
2007 Alta Vista Atemporal

2007 Alta Vista Atemporal

I selected this wine for a ‘blends’ tasting last week since it’s 43% Malbec, 36% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Syrah, and 10% Petit Verdot.

The 2007 Alta Vista Atemporal is just about the darkest purple wine you’ll find and it’s gorgeous to look at in the glass.  The nose is light upon uncorking but decanting for 30 minutes enhanced the bouquet and brought out some notes of spice and black cherry.  This Mendoza, Argentina wine was aged for 12 months in French oak.  The taste is floral from the Malbec, smoky from the Syrah and with some light tannins from the Cabernet.  The finish is long and enjoyable.  Good buy at the price point.

90 Points by Wine Spectator

Around $15.

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2007 Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet

April 5, 2010 By

2007 Penfolds Koonunga Hill

2007 Penfolds Koonunga Hill

I selected this wine for a ‘blends’ tasting last week since it’s 75% Shiraz and 25% Cabernet Sauvignon.  This wine has an appealing purple-ruby hue in the glass. The nose is of in-your-face, vibrant berries with a fair amount of oak from the eight months this wine spent in seasoned oak. One sip of the 2007 Penfolds Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet and you’ll be hit with coffee, dark spiced fruit and a lovely chocolate finish. This medium-bodied wine is well-balanced and lightly tannic.

Around $10.

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30 January 2010 2001 Ramirez de la Piscina Rioja Reserva

2001 Ramirez de la Piscina Rioja Reserva

January 30, 2010 By
'01 Ramirez de la Piscina

'01 Ramirez de la Piscina

What a great example of a medium-bodied Spanish Tempranillo.  This aged wine is brownish brick in color with a spicy, earth-like nose.  The wine is concentrated with enjoyable vanilla undertones and rich berry flavors.  The only thing I was missing when I enjoyed this wine was a fabulous paella.

Around $20.

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27 January 2010 2004 Gundlach Bundschu Pinot Noir

2004 Gundlach Bundschu Pinot Noir

January 27, 2010 By
'04 Gundlach Bundschu PN

'04 Gundlach Bundschu PN

Was given this wine as a birthday present and really enjoyed it.  This wine is a gorgeous, dark ruby color in the glass.  It’s simply pure velvety silkiness with tons of ripe cherries and a hint of vanilla.  Good wine on its own, but especially great with food.  Served this with roast chicken and it was stellar.

Around $32.

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2007 Pasqua Sagramoso Ripasso Valpolicella Superiore

January 4, 2010 By
Sagramose

Sagramose

Peppery, dark and a nice wine to pair with Italian foods, especially ones with red sauces.  Young with medium tannin and should be decanted before tasting.

Well-priced at around $20.

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Galil Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon 2007

January 3, 2010 By
Galil

Galil

Uncorked this full-bodied Israeli wine with a filet mignon fondue recently and was pleased with my selection.  This wine is dark ruby in color, rich with ripe cassis, offer a medium finish and shows great legs.

About $15 per bottle.

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