2004 Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot

(USA, California, Napa Valley)

This Duckhorn Merlot 2004 was definitely more velvety and softer than the 05 and 03.  Nicely done on this one. Intense yet well balanced. Love the dark fruits and floral on the nose with hints of tobacco. Full bodied with plum, chocolate, mocha, and vanilla on the nose. Nice and powerful.  Solid deep purple in color. The palate is velvety and well rounded right through the mid palate.  Strong black fruits. The finish is not too hot and has length with tobacco mocha and just the right oak and earthly feel.  Plum, blackberry and spices. Although I am not a huge Duckhorn Cabernet fan for the money, I really like this 04 merlot and it’s worth a try.

From Duckhorn site:

June/July 2007

Dense inky purple hue. Scents of blackberry, walnut and mushroom. Spicy on entry with a continued walnut appeal, and more spicy pepper and clove that lead to loads of black fruit flavors with an elegant backing of cedar-laced tannins. Tart notes on the close with hints of maple and tobacco. 90 points

Wine Enthusiast

March 2007

There’s a beautiful Merlot in here but you’re going to have to paddle against the powerful tannins to find it. It brings to mind the old Duckhorn Three Palms Merlots, which were similarly tough and tannic in youth, but aged well. This wine is ripe in chocolate, blackberry, cassis, coconut macaroon and plum sauce flavors, but needs four or five years to begin to come around. 90 points, Cellar Selection

Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar

January/February 2007

Ruby-red. Cassis, chocolate, licorice and minerals on the nose; very Napa Valley. Rich, round and oaky, with supple flavors of currant, dark chocolate and spices. Finishes with fairly sweet, fine tannins and a lingering note of medicinal black cherry.

88 points

Restaurant Wine Issue #115

October 2006

A medium rich, supple Merlot, that is full bodied nearly luscious in texture and long on the palate, tasting of blueberry, kola nut, cherry, spicy oak, and roasted nut. Unusually fleshy in style. Four Stars

Dan Berger’s Vintage Experiences

August 31, 2006

Fascinating green tea and spice components; nicely layered fruit of blueberry and red fruits. Graceful tannins, good acidity, and excellent balance to pair with medium-weight red meat.
Very Highly Recommended

Tags: Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot 2004, red wine review, wine review, wine tasting

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

2004 Bennett Lane Cabernet Sauvignon

(USA, California, Napa Valley)

Nose very dark and foggy. little meaty and interesting and a step up from an everyday wine. a little minty on the tail end.  The palate was of good quality, this is a good wine; good flavor; the tannins were a little hot and a touch disjointed;got some green pepper thought and was leaning toward a Brdeaux-like approach with   cocoa; and tobacco coming through.  Had a nice old world feel to it.  Worth a try for the money.

From Bennett Lane web site:

Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2005
Price: $55.00

Our current release 2005 Bennett Lane Cabernet Sauvignon was just awarded 93 Points by renowned wine writer Robert Whitley; “Bennett Lane is a relatively recent addition to the landscape around the village of Calistoga. Its strongest suit is pure, bold, mouth-filling Napa Valley cabernet, and there is no finer example of that than the 2005 vintage. It delivers a gorgeous nose of ripe cassis, with a hint of cedar and vanillin. The texture is slightly grippy in the most positive sense, and there is tremendous fruit lift through the mid-palate. This is a darkly fruited cabernet of uncommon depth, with exceptional palate length and persistence of flavor. And it’s supple enough to enjoy tonight, though this is one Napa cabernet I wouldn’t hesitate to lay down for several years.” With all of the incredible accolades of our 2005 vintage, this is another release that is sure to sell out fast!

This release opens with aromas of bing cherries and violets and continues with elegant subtle notes of clove and cedar. On the palate the wine has a nice mouthfeel, with flavors of black cherry and plum leading to a full velvety finish. The Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of both our Estate Lynch Family vineyard and select growers from throughout the best regions of the Napa Valley. Our Viticulturist Doug Wight farms nearly all of these properties, lending an added degree of consistency and cohesiveness.
Wine Profile

Vintage: 2005
Appellation: Napa Valley
Harvest Date: October 2005
Aging: 18 months in French Oak, 20% New
Bottling Date: June 2007
Alcohol: 14.7%
Recommended Cellaring: 2009-2013

Tags: Bennett Lane Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, wine rewiew, wine tasting

Medium color, off nose but good taste.  I’m not really a huge Sterling fan but the reserve is worth a try.  I found it a little off from a typical Cabernet in that it was more of a earthy and Bordeaux style.  The nose was subdued with vegetable and ceder.  The palate hit the ceder strong.  The balance was a little off in that the heat and flavors were somewhat of a departure from each other. This was a little boring for a reserve. Palate was ceder, blackberry, chocolate and green pepper. Given all that, the taste was unique and is worth a try because it may be your style.

Tags: Sterling Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, wine review, wine tasting

2005 Two Hands Shiraz Gnarly Dudes

Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley

Black olives and dark fruits on the nose.  Very strong jammy feel. The color is a deep solid purple.  The tast is jammy on the start and has the taste on the Orin Swift Prisoner for starters.  Kind oj jammy and lots of suger on the palate in the beginning with some tartness. Hits the tong strong on the sides with the tannins. Good strong start and gets better over time, about 30 minutes.  However it goes a little stale in the glass fast and has some mineral of metal taste to it. The mid palate goes bitter fast and the overall finish is short and has a strong tannin taste that lingers.  The alcohol does come out and is a little disjointed from  the flavors.  I like this wine for the money. The second day on this wine is much smoother.  Give it a try.

Tags: Two Hands Shiraz Gnarly Dudes, wine review, wine tasting

2003 Rutherford Hill Merlot

(USA, California, Napa Valley)

Veggies throughout.  Deep purple in color and the color and body is decent.  The nose has loads of green pepper, black olive, plumb and dark fruits.  The nose is better than the palate.  This wine is kind of boring and borders on an everyday table wine.  The wine is shallow and short.  Very little fruit and what fruit you can taste disappears fast and transitions into a very disjointed taste and feel.  This wine goes dark fast and is very bitter on the finish.  Really short.  I would give this a pass.

Rutherford site

From their site:

Variety: Merlot
Vintage: 2004
Appellation: Napa Valley
Varietal Composition:Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Petit Verdot, Malbec
Color: Magenta
Aroma: Berries, cocoa, vanilla, and cinnamon with hints of tobacco
Flavor: Dark cherries and rich chocolate with a hint of oaky sweetness
Approximate Lifespan in a Proper Cellar: 5-7 years
Bottling Dates: Summer 2006
Alcohol Content: 14.2%

Tags: Rutherford Hill Merlot 2003, wine review, wine tasting

2002 Palmaz Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Gaston

(USA, California, Napa Valley)

Nice soft and balanced wine.  No one flavor or characteristic came out which made this feel like a real quality wine.  The nose was mild with light oak, floral and cherry. The color was s mild to dark purple.  The palate had cherry, light tobacco, hints of oak and fell in line with the nose on the floral side.  It took about an hour for it to really open up and sing. This wine was lush and one of the most velvety vines I had.  Not over the top and good quality. I visited this winery and was impressed with the operation.  Not sure if there process makes a major difference but the quality is definitely there.  May be a touch expensive for this wine at 100 bucks a bottle but that does not mean it is not good. Worth a try at about 60 bucks.

From their site:

Lovingly named after our son, Christian Gaston, this wine represents the best lots of Cabernet made in the vineyard. This limited Cabernet Sauvignon is not made every year, and is released only in years where we feel that the vintage is strong enough to warrant a separate Cabernet in the portfolio.

The production volume of these wines are limited, this wine is reserved for our wine family member and visitors.

Tags: Palmaz Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Gaston, wine review, wine tasting

Tenute Silvio Nardi Brunello di Montalcino

(Italy, Tuscany, Montalcino, Brunello di Montalcino)

Had this wine out at the Catalina Jazz festival.  Color was medium dark purple and a little thin for a brunello.  The nose is complex and has some depth to it.  The nose went a little stale in about 15 minutes but while it lasted it had some leather, green peppers and dark red fruits.  Hint of tobacco and was earthy with good balance of oak. The palate was a little flat on the fruit and was leaning more to an everyday brunello.  After about 20 minutes it loosened up and the dark fruits and black liquorish come out strong. The tannins were just a bought right. length was ok. I think this wine needs a couple more years although it was good quality.  Not bad and worth a try if you don’t pay too much for it. Pleasant wine but not over the top.

Tags: Tenute Silvio Nardi Brunello di Montalcino, wine tasting

2004 Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel Appellation Series San Francisco Bay

(USA, California, San Francisco Bay)

Very enjoyable nose.  Plumb pear strong musty ceder and black pepper.  deep purple hinting on brown.  The palate is together and has a little hot bang right on the start.  This wine is zesty and bold with blackberry, green pepper, dark fruits.  It also has some floral ascents.  Some hints of plumb and black pepper. The finish is medium and kind of smooths off the wine.  Not too harsh on the finish. A little tangy on the finish.  Not bad.  this wine is worth a try for the money because it is not an everyday feeling wine.

From Rosenblum’s site:

This is one of the most exotic Zinfandels in our extensive line that we have had the privilege of making. It exhibits a huge core of black cherry fruit with elements of bramble, cassis, and vanilla in the bouquet. The flavors are ripe black cherry and blackberry with hints of spicy plum and black olive in the flavors. The wine goes very well with heavy red sauces, pizza, barbecue and roasted lamb.

Rosenblum site

Tags: Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel Appellation Series San Fran, wine review, wine tasting

2006 J. Lohr Cabernet Sauvignon Seven Oaks

(USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles)

Nice color, deep purple.  The nose was enjoyable big black berries with ceder, green peppers and black pepper.  The palate was a little hot and a dryer wine than expected.  The palate was somewhat disjointed in that the tannins were a departure from the flavors. It is not an explosion.  It is very vegetable and earthy.  The palate is not exciting.  Its dark, woody with some hints of butter and cherry.  The finish is short and quickly goes into a tobacco and black pepper feel.  Ok for a table wine.  I would not rush our to try.

For close to the same money this wine is much better: CLICK HERE

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From J Lohr site:

2006 J. Lohr Estates Seven Oaks Cabernet

The 2006 vintage saw a return to below average rainfall for Paso Robles, and with it came smaller vine canopies, smaller clusters and smaller Cabernet Sauvignon berries. The combination of
these elements in 2006 made for excellent quality in all of our
Paso Robles red varietals, but in particular, Cabernet was the
most positively impacted. The outstanding color and flavor development brought back memories of the noteworthy Cabernet crop from 2001. We incurred no significant heat events after veraison in 2006, and had very mild weather conditions straight through harvest. This allowed sugar, flavor and tannin ripeness to occur simultaneously, producing fruit full of bold and generous varietal and regional expression, and highlighting the dark cherry and black currant fruit that is the hallmark of this great Cabernet winegrowing region.

Cabernet Sauvignon

The predominant fruit for our J. Lohr Estates Seven Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon comes from estate vineyards located directly opposite our J. Lohr Paso Robles Wine Center. The Seven Oaks vineyard was originally planted on its own rootstock, utilizing some of the original plantings from indigenous Estrella clones. The soils in
our Paso Robles vineyards vary from gravelly clay loam to limestone-based soils over a relatively small parcel of land, and various rootstock and clonal combinations have been used to maximize the expression of each individual site. The different soil types and planting combinations add to and complement the palate of the Seven Oaks Cabernet and the other red varietals we produce, including Merlot and Petit Verdot, to add balance and weight to the wine.

Tags: J. Lohr Cabernet Sauvignon Seven Oaks, wine review, wine tasting

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

2004 Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Reserve

(USA, California, Napa Valley)

While very good upon popping the cork and you could tell it’s only going to get better. The nose had old world all over it with notes of black currant licorice, cedar, and smokey. Nice earthy nose with some tobacco. Bight purple color hinging on the brown side. Palate has quality all over it. Seemed a touch short on the start and the mid palate was a little disjointed but very good overall. Chocolate and tobacco is prominent with hints of dark berries in the background. Dries out the palate on the finish and ends dark. Great wine for the money and worth a try.

Notes from Conn Valley web site:  http://www.connvalleyvineyards.com/notes.html

Vintage: 2004
Color: Dark ruby with almost a black-purple ring at the glass/wine interface
Aroma: Wonderful aromas of spice, with vanilla, sweet oak and coffee. Very
ripe blackberries
Taste: Well balanced between the acid, oak and fruit. Medium mouth feel, a
sweet black tea with honey taste. Soft tannins and texture on the sides with a
long f inish that is smooth, not bitter. Long lingering aftertaste. Should be at
its best 2012-2018.
The Year: The 2004 growing season was one of the fastest and earliest in history.
The quality of fruit was excellent and the yield light. The season started
with a warm spring, followed by a mild summer with extreme heat at the end.
The flavors for 2004 are high quality and intense and the colors beautiful.
The Wine: Conn Valley’s Cabernets are made from 100% estate grown grapes
from the vineyards located at the winery site in Conn Valley. This vintage is a
blend of numerous clonal varieties of Cabernet Sauvignon, each of which contributes
to the character of the wine and adds complexity. Prior to blending
and bottling, the 2004 vintage was aged in the hillside caves located on the
Conn Valley Estate.

Tags: Anderson's Conn Valley Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Est, Red wine, wine review, wine tasting

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

Heard from John Hazelewood at the vineyard on a post about the Sangiovese.  He mentioned to try the Zinfandel.  He was right and the Zin is much better and has more character than the Sangiovese.  This wine still had the same feel as the others in that they are very tasty compared to the look.  The color is a touch thin and sets you up for a failure but it’s not that way on the palate.  Light purple on the color with hits of bright purple around the edges.  The nose hit me immediately with a Windex smell to it.  This wine have a very clean, crisp, sharp feel to it.  It’s really interesting.  After the Windex the cherry and ceder come through. And consistent with their other wines, the palate is crisp and tasty.  Cherry hits you hard and the ceder matches the nose.  The fruit is plentiful and is still a touch industrial to me.  I just don’t know,  I taste tons of wine and this producer has me baffled because overall it seems like this wine should not be as good as it is.  Its different and I cant put my finger on it.  I want to visit them and gain some clarity.  Try this wine out because it is worth the money.

The J. Keverson Sangiovese post: http://www.thewinebloggers.com/j-keverson-sangiovese-2005-88-p

oints/

From J. Keverson’s site: Web Site

Production Notes: Picked at 23.4 brix on October 26 2006. Crushed, then cold soaked for 4 days. The brix raised to 26.4 after cold soak. Fermented for 12 days then pressed and put into 40% new oak, 40% 1 year old and 20% netural oak barrels. 80% American oak. Barrelled for 15 months. Bottled on Feburary 14, 2008. Winemakers Notes: Sourced from Hales Vineyard in Dry Creek Valley, this lighter-bodied zin pleases the nose with aromas of back pepper, cinnamon, cloves, red cherry/berry, slight tobacco, guaiacol, cedar box, and anise. Like our award winning 2005 vintage, this is a well-balanced fruity zin. The alcohol is in check, not dominating and the acidity keeps this wine lively and fruit forward.

Released on May 25, 2008, this zin is a delicious summertime complement to barbecue beef or a leg of lamb with a berry sauce as well as a nice prosciutto or swordfish. For mid-week enjoyment, pair it with your favorite pizzas and pastas. On the bocce court, friends will love it with sharp cheeses such as teleme or aged gouda. Enjoy with friends now or cellar through 2013.

Tags: J Keverson Zinfandel 2006, wine review, wine tasting