2005 Palazzo

(USA, California, Napa Valley)

The best part of this wine is the nose.  Very complex dark fruits with oak and floral.  It was enjoyable sniffing and it lasted. Color was a medium purple.  The palate was good but not outstanding.  It is a solid wine though.  Dark fruits loads of oak which was nice and finished off with some spices and charcoal.  Good solid fruit and the tannins were fresh hitting the side of the tong.  The 2005 was just a touch young and a coupe years will round out this wine. OK wine for 55 bucks.  I would try this if you like the oak monster because it is nice from that standpoint.

Robert Parker – Wine Advocate (93 Points)
“This blend of 70% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon may be the finest wine to emerge from Scott Palazzo, who makes only 1,100 cases of an unfined/unfiltered, French-styled red. The sexy, Pomerol-styled 2005 exhibits aromas of chocolate, espresso roast, sweet cherries, and black currants. The fragrant bouquet is followed by a silky-textured, medium to full-bodied wine with lush, mocha-infused flavors that cascade over the palate. Drink this beauty now and over the next 10-12 years. ”

From Palazzo site:    Click Here

Blend:	70% Merlot 22% Cabernet Franc 8% Cabernet Sauvignon 40% New French Oak
Bottling Date:	April 27th, 2007
Release Date:	November 1st, 2007
Total Produced:	1,100 Cases - 750ml
Price:	$55.00

Tags: Palazzo red wine, Red wine, Wine Reviews, wine score

1997 Chateau de La Tour Clos Vougeot

(France, Burgundy, Côte de Nuits, Clos Vougeot Grand Cru)

This chateau was earthy. Color was on the brownish side from the age and producer.  Pretty typical burgundy that could probably use about 20 years.  However I did not feel like this one would come around.  The nose was smokey and floral with tobacco on the back end.  The start of the palate was very earthy and had lots of minerals.  The fruit was kind of weak compared to a good California Cabernet.  The fruit was dull and most of the late 90s follow this feel.  Its not a bright wine.  You can get a feel of quality but in a subdued way.  The mid palate followed the start and the wine had some hang time.  The finish was a touch bitter and thin.  Good experience but for over 200 bucks I would pass.

From Chateau de La Tour site

Produced from the celebrated Pinot Noir grapes from our best vines, the wines from Clos Vougeot Château de la Tour are classified among Burgundy’s Grand Cru. Their elegant bouquet and flavours of “truffles, liquorice, violet and wild mint” develop harmoniously with age.
Their great quality is unanimously recognized by both wine-lovers and wine journalists.

Tags: Chateau de La Tour Clos Vougeot, Red wine, Wine Reviews, wine tasting

2003 E. Guigal Châteauneuf-du-Pape
(France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape)

This wine was a little surprising in that it was one of the better rhones for the price. The nose had green pepper, ceder, coco, and a touch of floral lavender. Had a hit of dirty dippers. The color was a little thin, kind of a lighter purple with lavender around the edge. The palate did not have ay peaks and valleys, it was pretty consistent through the finish where it hit you with black liquorish and the alcohol stayed lingering. The start of the palate was nice and earthy with Blackberry, plumb, bell peppers, white pepper and tobacco. It was tight in the beginning and loosened up in about 30 minutes, especial the nose which got way floral. The palate was spicy and hit the sides of the tong. Overall it was pretty balanced but the alcohol lingered a touch too much toward the mid and finish. Had a good earth and veggie feel to this wine. This wine was level lined and there were no hot spots in it, it was just overall consistent and not tremendously complex. It was enjoyable and worth a try for 65 bones a bottle.

From thier web site:

* Eye : Deep dark red.
* Nose : Spices and mature red fruits.
* Palate : Round tannins with powerful complexity. A rich unctuous wine with notes of mature plums, hazelnuts and red fruits.
* Overall : Very rich wine full of harmony and balance.

Tags: E. Guigal Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Red wine, rhone wine, Wine Reviews, wine tasting

2005 Jakes Fault Winery Shiraz

(USA, California, Sonoma County)

I try and try on the 10 dollar wines but very rare to hit one.  This wine was no different.  This wine is very industrial to me and feel fake.  The nose had loads of fruit and the palate had lids of fruit but hinted on new world tank feel.  The tannins were very far from in the mix.  huge gap between the taste and tannins.  Not much to write on this one because its a typical table wine to me.  Sorry folks but not my style.

Tags: Jakes Fault Winery Shiraz, Wine Reviews, wine scores

Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay Reserve 2004

(USA, California, Napa Valley, Carneros)

The Cakebread reserve chard was smooth, well rounded and flavorful.  Nice golden color.  The nose is sweet with pineapple, pear, and a great dose of french oak.  The palate was very balanced and was rounded with butter, oak and light fruits.  A strong wine with some pop to it.  The tannins complimented the flavors nicely.  Full, and rich.  I think a few more years on this wine the tannins will not dance as much and this will be a big winner.  This wine is a define try even at the 125.00 per bottle.

From Cakebread site: Click Here

Winemaking

Our Chardonnay fruit was 100% whole-cluster-pressed to minimize astringency from the skins. Pressing the fruit cold assures even lower extraction of astringent compounds, which also increases the long term aging potential in white wines. Three quarters of the juice was barrel fermented in 35% new French oak barrels at 50-55º F, a slow, cool fermentation that fostered a perfect balance of ripe fruit, yeast, natural acidity and toasty oak. The remaining portion was fermented in stainless steel tanks, with those lots transferred to barrel once fermentation completed. While barrel fermentation promotes complexity and richness, tank fermentation maximizes fruit intensity. Partial malolactic fermentation, primarily of the higher acid lots, further enhanced the harmony of these elements. During nine months of barrel aging, the wines were frequently hand stirred to promote the integration of fruit, yeast, acid and oak, resulting in a beautifully balanced Chardonnay of elegant richness.

Tasting Notes

Our 2004 Napa Valley Chardonnay offers fresh, lovely pear and ripe Granny Smith apple aromas with supporting mineral, baked bread and baking spice scents. Full and richly textured on the palate, the citrusy crisp, spiced-apple and pear flavors are enriched by yeast and toasty oak tones that extend into a very long, rich, minerally finish. Youthfully compact, with superb structure and an ideal balance of fresh fruit, acid and wood tones, this beautiful Napa Valley Chardonnay, one of Cakebread’s very best, should develop in the bottle for another 3 to 5 years.

Tags: Cakebread Cellars Chardonnay Reserve, Wine Reviews

2004 Qupé Syrah Central Coast

(USA, California, Central Coast)

Ordered this Qupe Syrah in a tasting flight at a restaurant. The color was a typical Syrah. Dark in color with a touch or bright red around the edges. The nose was a little earthy with a mix of some fruit and veggies and a touch of mint and garrigue. Some tobacco lingers on the nose as well. The first sips were solid and this wine has some good body and was a little silky. I got some jam on this wine with a little blueberries. However there was some earthy touch to this wine but it did not integrate with the fruits the way it should. The tannins were medium and mixed well. This Qupe Syrah had a French Bordeaux feel to it. Overall good for the 15 bucks a bottle and would try it. Although, the wine wend stale pretty fast in the glass. After about 45 minutes it felt old. Qupe Website

Tags: Qupé Syrah Central Coast, Red wine, Wine, Wine Reviews

Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vineyard

(USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville)

Had this wine at the Venetian in Vegas. Tasted side by side with Staglin Cabernet.  Great experience. Very strong nose of dark fruits, blackberry raspberry and some dried roses.  Really had a quality nose which matched and rolled over into the palate.  This had just the right amount of tannins and was very balanced. This wine was crisp and a little sharper than the staglin which is a little more velvet.  The Paul Hobbs had some mocha and blueberry with was a little smokey tail.  The palate was long and smooth,  It was not your typical harsh finish.  This was an 04 and drinkable now but felt like a couple more years will round it off nicely. Had a nice old world earthy feel.  Worth a try and although it is prices on the high side it is worth it.

From Paul Hobbs Site

Winemaker’s Notes
Inky black garnet color carries enticing aromas of red currant and tobacco leaf to introduce a weighty, complex, seamlessly integrated wine. The deeply textured palate displays a rich interplay of blackberry, cassis, graphite and mocha, with notes of cedar, espresso, lavender and smoke adding intrigue through the mid-palate. Big, ripe, fine-grained tannins grace a lengthy finish. Alcohol 15.3%

Tags: Paul Hobbs Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Dr. Crane Vin, Red wine, red wine reviews, Wine Reviews

2004 Pahlmeyer Jayson

(USA, California, Napa Valley)

Nice wine overall right from the start. The Jayson Bordeaux bled red wine was dancing in every category. Although it is more of a new world red wine with a fruit explosion. The color was a deep thick purple and very viscus. Solid fruit nose with a little charcoal or tobacco and a hit of mering. At the start of drinking this bottle (we did not decant it) it had a little edge to it but the flavors of blueberries, dark fruit and spices were balanced. Medium body and the transition to the finish was quality and had about a mid hang time. The finish was solid and enjoyable. 60 bucks a bottle and this is a staple you should have on hand. I would give the Jayson 2004 a couple more years though. Definite try. It reminded me of the Prisoner Cabernet.

Composition: 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec

Tasting Notes: The 2003 Jayson is an intense wine that exhibits aromas and flavors of deep black fruit, dark chocolate and finishes with focused tannins.

Winemaking Notes: The 2003 Jayson is a “declassification” of the wine originally intended for the Merlot and the Proprietary Red. We do not grow or seek out fruit in order to produce wine for the Jayson label. The 2003 Jayson Red was harvested and vinified in the same manner as the Proprietary Red and the Merlot; the whole berry fruit was from hand picked lots and fermented in short, open-topped stainless steel tanks and cold soaked, using native yeasts. The wine then continued fermentation in 100% new French oak barrels and was bottled neither fined nor filtered.

Pahlmeyer Website

Tags: cabernet, Pahlmeyer Jayson, Red wine, Wine Reviews

2006 ZD Wines Pinot Noir Rosa Lee

(USA, California, North Coast, Carneros)

Tasted this Reserve Pinot Noir at the winery in Napa and this wine first hit me with “I want more.” I felt it was a solid syrah and a better quality than most Pinot Noirs I had. Lots of plumb and sour cherries but it did also have a healthy level of oak. On the verge of too much oak. The palate definitely exploded right away and it was crisp with the fruit coming through strong. I liked the overall quality but it was bordering on industrial and fake. It is limited and its worth a try but on the high side for price. 70 bucks a bottle. If you are a pinot fan this is one you should try.

The winery was nice. Very professional and clean and it was a new feel and not the feel of an older chateaus type of place. I did feel a little un-special in the tasting room though. It was kind of like “movem in movem out” and they really pushed the sale.

Tags: pinot noir, Red wine, Wine Reviews, ZD Pinot Noir Rosa Lee

2003 Bodegas Montecillo Rioja Crianza

(Spain, La Rioja, Rioja)

This wine was edging toward the Brunello feel.  However the quality level was not there.  The color was deep purple and a hint of dark brown. The nose had some apple and pear.  Not bad nose. It was hot and the alcohol was coming right out and did not settle down with time. The palate was short and hit you with tobacco, bark, black currents, and black liquorish.  It was short and on the dryer side.  I think this wine was ok for the money but I would not rush out to try it.  Had a darker bunello touch to it.

Rioja is probably Spain’s signature wine. Rioja is characterized by its long aging in oak barrels. The Crianzas are the youngest of the Riojas, reflecting the flavors and style of their bigger reserve and gran reserve siblings, but without the structure and depth of the long barrel aging. What results is a vibrant and easy-drinking wine with plenty of fruit, spice, and earthiness.

The Montecillo is typical of Crianzas. Its color is bright garnet with an effusive bouquet of ripe berries and sweet oak. In the mouth there is lots of flavor – cherries, cranberries, and roasted peppers. The oak flavors are somewhat muted and it finishes with soft tannins that are almost musty. Nice layers of flavor and lots of wine for the money. Will go well with pizza, roasted meats, and grilled veggies.

Tags: Bodegas Montecillo Rioja Crianza, spanish wine, Wine Reviews, wine tasting

1997 Chateau Lynch Bages

(France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac)

We were in a Bordeaux mood and tried this beside a 91 Chateau Mouton Rothschild. The 1997 was another tough year for Bordeaux, Parker rated it 83 and the 1991 78. I have to say I tend to agree on this. Although the Lynch-Bages was a bit more exciting than the Rothschild, it was still on the thin and weak side. Not as fruitful and complex as the 89, 96 and 2000 vintages.

The color was a deep purple and much thinner that it’s Cabernet brothers. We decanted this wine for an hour. The nose was still earthy and typical of a Bordeaux. The berries came through more than the tobacco and wet leaves. Really had matured in the nose. Old world quality but not overwhelming. The start on the palate was good with some pepper and blackberry. It was pretty rounded on the start and nothing was outstanding about it. The mid palate got into some floral qualities with a hint of eucalyptus and got a little earthy fast. The finish had the tannins really integrated and quickly transitioned into a bitter and stale feel to it. I got the feeling that this wine has peaked and has nowhere to go. To me this is an everyday type wine that needs some food parings with it but in that case is over priced at 50 bucks. Another pass for the French.

Tags: Chateau Lynch-Bages, Red wine, Wine Reviews

Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon One Point Five

(USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District)

This is a new world feeling wine with black fruits, berries with flowers, and chocolate. Rich and weighty on the palate with soft tannins and a touch of acidity. Very fruity on the nose and a dark purple color. The wine had some good hang time on the finish and was not bitter. This wine was crisp and clean with a refreshing feel which to me gave it a very new world feel. Overall good quality and balance.

From the Shafer web site:

“The 2005 One Point Five is a meatier, more structured wine [than 2004] but slightly deeper, with broad black currant fruit flavors intermixed with some spice box, crushed rock, and spring flowers. It is characteristic of Stags Leap in its elegance and finesse. The wine has good acidity and freshness, but is long and seamless.”
– Robert M. Parker, Jr., The Wine Advocate

“Rich, deep and complex, with a complex mix of fleshy currant, dried berry, anise, sage and mineral, framed by light cedary oak. Gains depth and complexity on the finish. Elegant and stylish.”
– James Laube, Wine Spectator

“Good deep bright ruby. Complex aromas and flavors of cassis, leather, earth, game, tobacco and sexy smoky oak, with a minty nuance emerging with air. Creamy-sweet and expansive in the mouth, with an almost exotic character to the intense fruit. As lush as it is, it maintains firm shape. Finishes with substantial broad, dusty tannins and impressive lingering sweetness.”
– Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar

“Deep plum, cherry and cassis aromas show hints of lavender, black olive and oak spice.  Quite ripe and plump on the palate, there is enough brisk acidity to keep it tasting fresh, and the tannins are round now, yet substantial enough for short-term cellaring.”
– Linda Murphy, WineReviewOnline.com

“… nicely extracted and showing highlights of loam and woodsy spice in its ample aromas, this rounded and fairly full-bodied effort is all about the ripe cherries on the palate … plenty of firming Cabernet Sauvignon tannins on the back end …”
– Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine

“Yum. Yum. Yum! … This cab rocks – with rich, juicy, mouth-filling black fruits, silky tannins, hints of violet chocolate and spice, and remarkable length. Supple and drinkable now, it still has the structure and depth to age beautifully … it’s gorgeous!”
– Robert Whitley, syndicated columnist

Tags: Red wine, Shafer Cabernet Sauvignon One Point Five, Wine Reviews, wine tasting

2003 Lancaster Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

(USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley)

Nice wine for the money. I had a glass of this Lancaster Cabernet Sauvignon at the Ritz Carlton in San Francisco. The bottle was opened new at my table and poured right away. This wine was balanced right away, The color was a light to medium purple. It had a hint of bright red around the edges. The nose was soft and velvety with spices, oak and dark fruits and more blueberries. The palate was velvet throughout. Good fruit on the start and it was maintained through the mid palate. When it transitioned to the finish it got a little hot and bitter. Was a little disjointed on the finish with strong black olive and got a little earthy. Might have been a little better if it was decanted for a while. Overall a good wine and I would try again.

Winemaker’s Notes
Estate grown, produced and bottled, our 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits lush black cherry and plum, accented with cloves, anise, and violets. Soft, supportive tannins provide structure for the rich fruit, and layers of complexity carry over the long finish. Aged 22 months in French oak barrels, the wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered, to retain purity of expression. 4200 cases produced.

Lancaster’s website

Tags: Cabernet Sauvignon, Lancaster Estate, Red wine, Wine, Wine Reviews

Prunotto Barolo 2000

(Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo)

Decanted for 1 hour. The color war deep purple leaning toward the brownish side. The color and nose really yelled “old world” with Leather, plum and raisins. Good start. The palate was not as exciting. A little narrow minded wine. Even knowing it was still old world it came off not as dynamic as the nose. Had varying spices, cedar, leather chocolate and some berry. It was a big wine and I enjoyed it but I just could not get it over a 90 point wine. I expect more from a Barolo and I guess is ok for 40 bucks.

From Wine library:
92 Points - Wine Spectator
“Lots of crushed blackberries, cherries and Spanish cedar on the nose. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and loads of ripe fruit on the finish. Needs time. Best after 2009. 5,000 cases made.”

Tags: barolo, Prunotto Barolo, Red wine, Wine Reviews, wine tasting

2004 Jordan Vineyard & Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

(USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley)

This 2004 Jordan Cabernet was a little underwhelming for me. I expected more depth from a California Cabernet. It might be that Jordan wanted this to be a thin wine. I felt this wine was average. The color was a weak purple and was more like a petite syrah. The nose had mild on th fruit and had some strong ceder and tobacco. The nose was somewhat smooth and velvety although the tannins were peaking out a little strong. The flavors were also mild with cherry, tobacco and some cola. Wish I could say more on this wine but I would pass on the 2004 now. I will have to try some other vintages.

From Jordan’s site:

THE WINE
The 2004 Jordan Cabernet Sauvignon captures the essence of the vintage. After the initial fermentation of 16 days, the wine spent four weeks in large oak upright tanks for malolactic fermentation. It was then aged in 62% French and 38% American small oak barrels for 12 months. After a final three months of aging in our oak upright tanks, it was bottled and held for another 18 months prior to its release.

The fruit from our estate hillside vineyards adds concentration and complexity to our Cabernet Sauvignon. A combination of Merlot (18%), Cabernet Franc (2%), Petit Verdot (4%), and Cabernet Sauvignon (76%) creates well-integrated flavors, deep color, and balance. The bouquet offers distinct notes of cassis, black cherry, and cocoa. The aromatic qualities of the Petit Verdot marry well with the soft, alluring flavors of Merlot and compliment the masculine tannins of the Cabernet Sauvignon.

Tags: Cabernet Sauvignon, Jordan Vineyard, Red wine, Wine Reviews