Domaine La Garrigue, 'Cuvee Romaine', Cotes du Rhone, 2006
This wine was prominently displayed at my local Zupan's. The card said something to the effect: a "Chateauneuf du Pape at half the cost". No, not literally a Cheateauneuf du Pape, but the quality and flavors, and cheap (about $16, but I found some at Fred Meyers for about $14.50). Who could pass on such a thing? Not me.
So tonight we went over to Chapman Elementary for the annual "return of the swifts". Here's this children's elementary school with an archaic smoke stack, just towering in the sky. So it's just standing there, and these little birds -- "swifts" -- discovered it makes a good place to sleep. Swifts, apparently, are these little birds -- sort of like a swallow. Anyway, they come by the thousands -- at least. They essentially swarm this tall chimney at dusk. And finally, as the darkness sets in, they circle the thing like a tornado (seriously awesome), diving into the chimney for a nightly snooze. It can get a bit more exciting when the hawk drops by for a nightly "swift" snack. Crazy, but the hawk actually eats the poor things. The tornado disperses quickly when the hawk is on the prowl.
So the whole neighborhood comes over to watch this event. Everyone brings a picnic and watches the show. We brought a simple salad with a Dijon vinegarette, homemade lasagna, and this bottle of wine (it's Portland -- everyone drinks wine or beer in the parks).
The first thing I noticed was the smell of smoke and tobacco. It was very pungent. Later, the nose had mushroom, chalk, pepper, oak (French style, not American), saw dust, and black cherry. And there was black cherry in the taste, along with a distinct dryness and a slight bitterness. The fruit flashes, but is immediately not sweet in any way. The finish is artichoke, currant, blueberry cherry, and rhubarb. This wine has a really nice body (medium) -- more body than a typical CdR. This wine is really easy to drink.
This is a really good value; buy some if you can find it.
Cost:
Rating:
8.0
Domaine Sorin, 'Cuvee Tradition', Cotes de Provence, 2005
The nose on this was earthy: dirt, moss, and bark -- along with pepper, cedar, green bean, menthol, and tobacco. Yeah, lots going on there. The taste was raisin and red cherry, though mainly blueberry. Then the finish: that pepper hits and retreats quickly, leaving earth and veggie elements -- chalk and brussell sprout.
This is yet another French wine; we've been drinking a lot for the south lately. The body was medium, which was nice. This one was certainly not bad in any way. However, it wasn't as good as a number of the others I've had very recently from the same area (Southern France).
Cost:
Rating:
6.5(Grenache 40%, Syrah 40%, Carignan 15%, Mourvedre 5%)
Rosemount, 'GSM', 2001
This is an old favorite of mine. I just had ended a French wine kick for awhile, and was starting an Australian kick. So this was a great bottle bridging those two worlds. GSM stands for Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre -- which is a standard Rhone blend of grapes (though most of the time the Aussies call it "Shiraz" instead of "Syrah" as they do in France ... same difference). All the bottles I've had of this have been good going back to 1999, with one of exception of a bottle (2003) I got from the airport in Narita -- probably not cared for as it should have been.
The nose was raisin, plum, nutmeg, cinnamon, green bean, bark and wheat cracker (seriously, that's what I smelled). The taste was raisin again, black cherry, vanilla (subtle), and pepper. On the finish, the vanilla remained, along with cayenne and plum. Others tasted nasturtium at the end.
Cost:
Rating:
8.0(Grenache 48%, Syrah 45%, Mourvedre 7%)
Broadley Vineyards, Claudia's Choice, Pinot Noir, 2001
I was given this bottle as a gift many moons ago. Broadley's web site was specific: sit on this one for awhile. But that was back a few years ago, and now Broadley's given us the green light. And since I had a dinner with the gift giver, it seems like the appropriate time to pop that cork ...
My goodness, this was a really spicy Pinot. The spice dominated over the fruit for sure. The nose was a mix: vanilla (subtle enough at this age), barnyard, strawberry, and PEPPER! The taste was raspberry, strawberry, vanilla, and a hint of pink grapefruit -- just a hint of that sweet and sour taste, and it's more pink grapefruit because it was hardly sour at all. That taste hangs there for a flash, and then: PEPPER, cinnamon and cayenne. And at the very, very end, you're left with anise -- a definite liquorice taste along with the cayenne bite. The body changes between the taste -- where the body feels medium body -- and the finish -- where the body seems to be more light bodied. Interesting.
Cost:
Rating:
8.0
Evesham Wood, Pinot Noir, 2007
I generally like wines from Evesham Wood. The are usually consistent in being decent and affordable. And while I liked this one for reasons I'll spell out below, it's worth noting that I was pretty much alone on this opinion from all those that drank it the other evening. Specifically, when compared to the other wines we served that evening -- Broadley 'Claudia's Choice' 2001 (admittedly not a fair comparison), Rosemount 'GSM' 2003 (also not fair), and a cheap 2005 Corbieres (definitely fair) -- the Evesham Wood came in last in terms of the question: "which did you like best". So while I say it's pretty good, apparently that may be a minority opinion. Just being fair (hence the 6.5 ... I would have given it a 7.0 if it was just me). So ...
The nose was a mix of vanilla and herb: sage or marjoram. The predominant was herb over the vanilla (just subtle, just right). The taste was a bit of strawberry and mainly raspberry. Again, the vanilla was there, and again it was subtle. It's the finish -- I think -- that threw everybody. Yeah, there was a citrus (acidic), but I thought it wasn't overly so. I've had a lot of Pinots that are way too acidic, and I thougth this wasn't so bad (not great, but then, this isn't a high-end Pinot). Through that citrus, there was also raspberry and something veggie -- probably artichoke. The body was also good for the price. It was medium body -- something analogous to a 2% milk mouthfeel.
It wasn't overly sweet, nor overly sour. Plus it had decent body and some herb/earth to it. In my humble opinion, it was yummy. But then, most everyone else liked the Corbieres over this. More for me!
Cost:
Rating:
6.5
Domaine de Fontsainte, Corbieres, 2005
Considering the astronomical prices for Pinot lately, I've been buying a lot more French wines lately -- specifically Cotes du Rhone, and also a bit of Corbieres which is just to the west. I've been finding these wines to be not just a great value, but pretty darn tasty generally. Here's one of these.
The nose was -- seriously -- like PB&J! It was peanut butter. And not just the smell of nuts ... I mean peanut butter. creamy and all. There was fruit too. But then, there's also something earthy and herbal like marjoram. Denise said it smelled like a hippy PB&J -- with fruit spread.
The taste was that raisin and plum. There was also earth, peat and moss. The taste was just a tad sweet. Taste was sweeter than the finish, which as a bit acidic. Aside from that, the finish was mainly raisin, with some of that moss coming through.
Cost:
Rating:
7.5(70% Carignan; 20% Grenache; 10% Syrah)
Springhill Cellars, Willamette Valley, Pinot Noir, 2005
Probably a result of the economic downturn, Fred Meyers (Kroger's) has decided to put all their wine on sale for the month of September: 15% off! And, they also give you an additional 10% if you buy 6 or more bottles. So 25% off is quite the deal. So down I went to replenish our meager supplies of wine at home. I'm always searching for that cheap great bottle to drink with dinner. Here's another in a long list of attempts at this.
And while this wine was cheap (about $10 after that 25% discount), it was definitely not that cheap+great holy grail. Denise took a single small sip and declared: 'it's vinegar"! And it does taste quite a bit like a Pinot that was aged a bit too long. Personally, I don't think it was vinegar, it was just not all that good.
First, the nose was salmon berry (tart) and cedar, and something chemical. The taste was also tart: currant, salmon berry, and grapefruit. I kept tasting this and concluded that the best way to describe the taste was a mix raspberry and grapefruit.The finish drops almost immediately, leaving a tartness, and (unfortunately) something very much like cigarette ashes (earthly?) -- mixed with hints of raisin and prune. It's really acidic -- it dries your mouth out after the finish.
Denise described it this way: "it's like that old bartender at Hung Far Lo" (seriously, it's really call that). To paint the picture for those not from Portland, think of an old women bartender right out of a David Lynch story. This wine is what she would drink. It smells and tastes like a seedy bar.
Cost:
Rating:
4.0 (yeah, it's terrible; it gets a 4 only 'cause I like Pinot).
Domaine de la Guicharde, Cotes du Rhone, 2005
Wow! Before I start, I have to say: if you find this wine, buy it immediately. Buy all of it. What a great wine -- and it was only about $8 (with the discount)! Unbelievable.This is another one I got at Fred Meyer's with their 25% (September only). So I went back immediately, to find that they only had a single bottle left ... duh!
The nose is really amazing for a wine at this price point. There's river rock, mushroom, artichoke, hay, soap?, barnyard, cinnamon and clove. Wow, that's an earthy nose! The body is fairly light, but then, it's a Cotes du Rhone, isn't it.
The taste isn't really fruity in any way. Yes, there's a very light pomegranete, raisin, currant and blueberry -- but these flavors are all very subtle. This is not sweet in any way. Mainly, it's mushroom and peat. The only thing not subtle is that mushroom.
Yummy!
Cost:
Rating:
8.5
Chateau Saint Esteve de Uchaux, Cotes du Rhone, 2003
A few years back I was lucky enough to make it to Annecy, France. It's right up there in the French Alps. I was there on business for a couple days and got to spend that time staying with a family that lives there.
We also rented a little Peugot and drove to Geneva and back. Did I mention we didn't really speak any French? That drive was a bit harrowing; we got lost ... a lot. But driving through the Alps was awesome. Anyway ... the wine.
This bottle was a parting gift from that generous French family. They were planning a wedding for one of their kids and were trying various wines -- mainly from Bordeaux and apparently this Cotes du Rhone. I took it back on the plane with me. Apparently it survived the trip!
Denise took one whiff and exclaimed: "Moss!". The nose was dirty, with some subtle pepper, nutmeg, and a hint of oak (but nothing like an American wine in terms of the oak). Denise said it also tasted of moss, and roses. For me, it was blackberry and currant. It was definitely strong with Grenache. The finish dissolves that earth (moss) and fruit (blackberry) together. Interestingly, there was a hint of salt on the finish, but not in a bad way.
It was really nice. Denise loved it: "So mossy. Delicate!". Drinking the rest of it the next day, it smelled like an old couch (musty and dusty) -- again, in a good way (if you can imagine that). It's a lighter bodied wine, complex and yummy.
Cost:
Rating:
8.0
Domaine Bressy-Masson, Rasteau, Cotes du Rhone Villages, 2007
Here's another recommendation from Liner and Elsen (local wine shop). Apparently, this is pretty much a Chateauneuf-du-Pape white. But since just down the road, it's not technically within the appellation, it can't be labeled as such. So a Chateauneuf-du-Pape without the cost was the idea.
And I have to say this was really enjoyable. The nose was pear, herby: basil, and a hint of spearmint. The taste was a tart lemon, and pear. The finish brings that basil back along with the lemon. And that finish keeps getting more tart as it goes long (it doesn't begin tart). It has a good mouthfeel: not too thick, and not too thin (about a 2% milk equivalent).
Denise liked it, despite that it's a white (she doesn't usually like the whites). She said it smelled like a smelly sock (but in a good way, apparently). We drank this with our friends Patrick and Signe. And Signe really likes white on a hot day (though usually drinking strictly dry Rieslings); she really liked this one.
Cost:
Raiting:
7.5
Jos. Christoffel Jr., Wehlener Sonnenuhr, Riesling Auslese, 1990
My goodness, what an interesting wine! Now, I know what you're thinking: Riesling? That's too sweet. Ack. Yeah, I usually think that too. But I remember a Janise Robinson video I watched many moons ago, and she went off about how interesting Rieslings can be -- if you're patient. And by patient, I mean REALLY patient. You have to wait 10, 20, maybe many decades.(Yes, apparently good Rieslings can be cellared for a long time, even though it's a white). And if you do, you can experience some wonderful payback.
To boil this thing down, think Sauternes but take out nearly all the sweetness and reduce the weight of the wine by at least half. And that's pretty close to what this wine was like: a thinner less sweet Sauternes. Lots of that honey and nectar you'd expect, and apricot.
However, it's a bit more complicated than that. In addition to all the Sauternes similarity, there were definite differences too. First and foremost is a tangerine/satsuma taste. It's quick and delicious. It adds a sort of sweet and sour aspect to the wine. But that tangerine quickly mutates with sort of a dill taste that flashes on the finish -- along with floral elements.
The nose was all over the place: honey, nectar, apricot, peach, pear, and floral. The taste is honey! And as described above, changed with the tangerine, dill, and floral tastes. The first taste is sweet, but the finish is sour, but in a tangerine/citrus way (good not bad). The weight was equivalent to a skim milk (very light body, especially if compared with something like a Sauternes).
Denise described the wine as being "pretty" (she usually doesn't like white, and especially doesn't like sweet wines). And she added: "it's like wearing a big Liz Taylor diamond ring."
Cost:
Rating:
9.0If you're like me, you don't usually drink Rieslings, at least not on purpose. They're a bit of an enigma. If you're interested in learning a bit more, I found this article in the NY Times helpful: Ausleses Put Sweetness on the Table.
Vega Sindoa, Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo, 2004
Here's another one (in a long list) of attempts at a good and cheap table wine. And this one isn't half bad (though perhaps not the holy grail). Denise described it as "feeling like a plush carpet in your mouth ... it sinks in your mouth).
The nose was interesting. Dark fruit: plum, raisin and blackberry. Chemical. Bark. Mineral. Stone. The taste was unmistakeably: blackberry (and hints of plum), and leather. However, the finish was a bit sharp, almost like stinging nettle -- pretty acidic. The blackberry remained though the finish (and inbetween the needles), with a hint of chocolate. Despite this poor ending, overall the wine was pretty decent.
Cost:
Rating:
6.0(60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Tempranillo)
Mildiani, (Tsinindali, Georgia), Katsiteli, 2006
Here's that second Georgian (the country, not the state) bottle I found. This time around, it's the white (see the other review on the red) -- specifically, this is the Katsiteli grape.
The nose was lemon, melon, cucumber, bay leaf and thyme. For a second, it tastes like sprite -- that lemon lime refreshing thing (no carbonation of course). And interestingly, the smell is lemon and the taste is lime. Specifically: lime, apple, and cucumber -- mainly a nice lime. Not exactly sour. Not exactly sweet. Really a good balance, and a great mouthfeel. The tastes are really light and subtle, that's why it's refreshing. No heavy anything. This was really enjoyable.
Oh, and I forgot to mention that this was $9. Really a good deal, if you can find it.
Cost:
Rating:
8.0
Van Duzer, Vinter's Cuvee, Willamette Valley, Pinot Noir, 2006
I have to admit that I've had this same wine on two other occasions. I didn't like it the first time. I can't remember why, but I had it again and the second time I liked it. And this time, someone else ordered it, so here it was to try a third time (and review).
Ouch! This third taste was definitely the worst I remembered. The nose was that sweet turpentine smell in an artists studio. As soon as that dissipated, then came cinnamon and tobacco. And, honest to god, there was cat poop (not in a bad way, if that makes any sense); maybe it's better described as an earthy smell. Anyway ... the taste was like eating a nectarine. Yeah, weird. That Ken Wright before was similar, only this one was REALLY nectarine. I strained to taste anything berry, but I just could not. Nectarine and that (sickly) sweet vanilla. The finish went immediately sour: strong acid/citrus taste. I mean it was really tart -- and it made my cheeks retract.
I've had Van Duzer before (2004) and I really liked that. And perhaps this is a case where one bottle is good and another is bad. Or perhaps it was poor storage on the part of the restaurant. Whatever the case, I didn't like this one. Bummer.
Cost:
Rating:
5.0
Ken Wright Cellars, 'Carter', Pinot Noir, 2005
I have to preface this by saying that we usually worship Ken Wright and his wines. They are typically very good. But not this one; at least not right now.
The beginning is breathtaking. The nose is spectacular! Vegetable and earth. Clove Moss. Musty. Vanilla. Cinnamon. Pepper. The nose actually evolved a lot over the course of an hour. It started very veggie, then it turned predominantly earthy, and finally (about an hour later) it become spice: strongly nutmeg and clove.
Taking a sip, though, and the facade crumbled! Strong sweet vanilla. Boy, I just don't like that. Through the sweetness, I could make out strawberry and red cherry. But it wasn't just sweet vanilla, it was also a sweet combo of peach and nectarine. Maybe in a white, sure, but this is Pinot NOIR. That sweetness sailed right on through into the finish: vanilla and nectarine. Weird! I even let the glass sit for an hour, spinning and spinning it. But the taste and finish wouldn't budge -- despite my wishes.
I'll note that I actually have this exact bottle in my wine fridge. And this tasting will ensure that it sits there for at least another 5 years. Maybe all that vanilla will mellow out with some age. Hopefully.
Cost:
Rating:
6.0 (the nose is insanely good, but that's it)
Benton Lane, Pinot Noir, 2006
I was recently at a restaurant entertaining a work-related guest from out of town, and I wanted to show off some good Oregon Pinot. Unfortunately, the restaurant's list was pretty poor. While the waiter found a Ken Wright, he couldn't sell it to us because the wine wasn't priced (well, at least not right away). But suffice it to say we had to pick with something else. So, instead we started with this Benton Lane. I'll be reviewing the Ken Wright next -- and I hate to admit this, but I think I'd rather drink this Benton Lane over that (more expensive) Ken Wright; but that's jumping ahead in this story. Suffice it to say here, that this bottle is not bad.
The nose was a strong strawberry, along with pepper, oak, and wood. The taste, on the other hand was definitely red cherry, and a bit of currant (there was a bit of sourness in there). The finish was both peppery and acidic. Though, the acid was much more subdued after about an hour. The weight in the mouth was the equivalent to a 1% milk.
This wine wasn't very complex, but it was very drinkable -- and enjoyable. It was jammy, but not at all sweet, nor was it earthy (which I prefer).
Cost:
($55 in the restaurant; and about $25 in the store)Rating:
7.0
Aquinas, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005
It was my son's birthday, and he loves to go to Sal's restaurant. So off we went. The server said that the Sal's on Killingsworth had closed (bummer), so the NW location was swimming in extra wine; so much so, that they were blowing out some of it for cheap.
Normally, we have 3 (and somtimes 4) glasses of wine at a restaurant, so a bottle is sometimes a good way to go. But for $16 bucks? Well, that's about the cost of only 2 glasses. Sold! We choose this one from a pretty limited list of reds (lots of whites though).
The nose was pretty interesting: asparagus, artichoke, nutmeg, pepper, and oak (it is from Napa after all). The taste was pretty one-dimensional -- fruit! -- plum and black cherry. It finished really dry, (that apple dryness again), along with oak and plum and black cherry again.
This wine tastes a bit young -- it's not technically sweet, but it sort of tastes sweet. Not great of course, but hey: I've spent more for a glass at restaurants than this bottle cost.
Cost:
Rating:
6.0
Jean-Luc Colombo, 'La Violette', Vin de Pays d'Oc, Syrah, 2005
Here's another one from my quest for that decent $10 bottle of wine. Something good enough to drink with dinner without costing a fortune.
The nose was plum and veggie -- brocoli, saw dust, pepper, mineral, and asparagus. The taste was black cherry and plum, earth, and artichoke. The finish was plum, mineral, and green bean. It was slightly metallic (but not in a bad way).
This wine was very much fruit forward, and then it just dissolves into mineral, earth, and vegetable. It's not that syrupy sweet syrah at all. Quite good. It's always interesting to read the notes on the bottle afterward. What they describe as "cigar", I thought was a bit chemical -- but maybe it's a bit inbetween the two. They also note liquorice and incense; I can accept that.
Cost:
Rating:
6.0
Dr Loosen and J Christopher, 'Two Worlds' Pinot Noir, 2007
What a wacky idea -- blend grapes from two very different places: Germany and Oregon. And that's exactly what's in this particular bottle (90% Germany and 10% Oregon). The bottling was done here in Oregon. So wacky, I went searching for this when I heard it was available.
And honestly -- surprise, surprise -- it tastes a lot like a German Pinot.Now, I've (clearly) drank my fair share of Pinot, and not a few bottles were from Germany. So it's worth noting that, "this ain't no Oregon Pinot", on the other hand, it's not -- exactly -- a straight German Pinot either. There is something slightly Oregon in there. The label says the Oregon part adds "structure". Perhaps, a bit.
First, the nose is fairly sharp -- somewhere between cayenne and a chemical smell. I don't want to say the smell is bad, but it's certainly not any sort of Oregon Pinot magic either. The taste is fruit! Not jammy like Oregon, but more like a jelly or a fruit juice. It's not sweet exactly, but it seems that way. It tastes like pomegranet with hints of raspberry and cranberry and Royal Ann cherry. The weight is pretty thin -- very much typically German. Yet, this particular wine has slightly more weight that normal (maybe that's that Oregon structure). And the color was very consistent and without any cloudyness you can find in some Oregon Pinots. In addition to the fruit, there's mineral in there too. Not exactly earthly, but it's not typical of the "jammy" Oregon style either. The fruit lingers a bit, and then finally it ends slightly bitter, like an artichoke taste.
Not terrible, but not my favorite Pinot -- that's for sure. Interesting, but honestly, I won't buy this again.
Cost:
Rating:
5.0
Abbaye de Saint-Ferme, 'Les Vinges du Soir', Bordeaux, 2004
Here's another bottle from that trip to Zupan's for 'cheap' wine for a party. The idea was to get decent wine for about $10 per bottle.
The nose is peat moss, chemical, bark and dark green vegetable (weighted in that order). The taste is totally prune and raisin. The finish has that apple-dryness and prune and hints of wood (no, not vanilla/oak ... just a dry wood).
I think this was a really decent wine for the price ($12). It was relatively very smooth, earthy and had a good mouth-feel (as the back label advertises).
Cost:
Rating:
7.0
Titus, Napa Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004
We followed the Berringer Cab (see other review) with this one. Some liked this one better, but for me, the Berringer was clearly better.
The nose was plum, and the oak was much lighter than the Berringer. However, it was also much less earthy, though there was a hint of moss. The taste was plum, along with -- strangely -- a cream soda sweetness. Which is also to say that this was really a rich wine (like as in "rich" foods)! Almost filling. The finish all dark fruit: prune, raisin and plum.
Comparing to the Berringer, the Titus was much more fruity, and less earthy.
Cost:
Rating:
7.5
Beringer, Private Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2002
As I've mentioned in recent posts, I recently went on a fishing trip to Crater Lake with family. And one of those family members runs a Bed & Breakfast down in Napa Valley. And he likes wine. So he generously brought quite the powerhouse in this bottle of wine!
The nose was very earthy, along with mushroom, pepper, bark, and (of course) oak. The taste was prune, pepper, and cayenne (a bit spicy). The finish was that prune again, along with a heavy oak.
As with most interesting wines, this one evolved over time. It was a bit acidic at first, but later on -- like 20 minutes or so, it lost that acidity and got a lot smoother. About a hour later, the taste and finish mellowed out significantly. The oak was much more subtle and subdued. Also, the fruit became much less pronounced, though there was black cherry at this point. But mainly it was just earthy (mushroom) and spicy (pepper) goodness. Very nice!
Cost:
Rating:
8.5
Crater Lake, (Eola Hills Wine Cellars), Pinot Gris, 2007
I took a family fishing trip to Diamond Lake over the Labor Day weekend. For dinner one of the nights we went to the Crater Lake Lodge -- which looks over the magnificent Crater Lake. It is the deepest lake in North America, and arguably the most beautiful.
Yeah, that's a mountain that blew up and a lake formed inside. The rim around the lake is the remnants of that mountain. And that island is lava dome that formed after the explosion (like a 100 times greater than Mount St. Helens). Seriously beautiful.
There at the Crater Lake lodge restaurant we had a great meal, and some wine. One of those was a private labeled Pinot Gris (made by Eola Hills Wine Cellars). The nose was honey dew melon, green apple, some light green vegetable. The taste was apple and pea pod, and it was acidic -- but not that super lemon citrus -- almost like an effervesce. While that acid hits hard right at the start, it almost instantly drops off -- leaving a clean finish and smooth (after your mouth is burnt off). It tastes green like the label.
Cost:
Rating:
6.5 
Ayres, Willamette Valley (Ribbon Ridge), Pinot Nior, 2007
I think I've found a new favorite low(er) priced Pinot: Ayres!
And there I was, in New Seasons looking for more wine for my fishing trip ... and there it was. We had a bottle of this last Christmas and I was really excited when I first tasted this wine back then (2006 instead of the 2007). I usually like Ribbon Ridge Pinots, but then, they're usually $50 bucks or more. But here's one for just $20! I wasn't disappointed last Christmas, and I wasn't disappointed this time around either.
The nose was a really enchanting vanilla, pepper, exotic spice (that Pinot magic), and cinnamin. The taste was black cherry, raspberry, and nice balanced amount of oak. The finish had that apple dryness, and blackberry.
We had this along with Bruno (see other review), Erath and A to Z, and this one was my favorite. This was geally great for 20 bucks! And yes, they're all about the same price.
Cost:
Rating:
8.0
Miner Family, 'Simpson Vineyard', Viognier, 2007
I usually like Viognier, and this was no exception. The nose was all kinds of stuff: papapya, mango, lettuce, lemon, and cantaloupe. The nose was herbal (lavender?), lemon, but mostly very floral! The finish retained the floral elements, but also with some spice -- oregano, and hints of something really spicy like cayenne. The only downside was this was just a bit too sweet -- and a tad thick -- for my tastes (no, not to say it was syrupy).
Cost:
Rating:
6.5
Bruno, Willamette Valley, Pinot Noir, 2006
Here was one of those impulse buys. I was heading for a fishing trip down to Diamond Lake, and I was standing in Zupan's with my brother buying some wine for the trip. I picked up a number of bottles (to be reviewed soon). And my brother wanted to participate, and he wanted me to help. The instant response always has to be: "well, how much do you want to spend". Zupan's organizes their wine by price -- top to bottom, it's expense to cheap on down. So he pointed: "how about something you haven't had from this shelf". And this is the bottle I pointed to. And it was a great find.
The look of wine was a bit disconcerting: it was really magenta and really cloudy. The nose was cinnamon, plum, and artichoke. The taste was the typical red cherry and raspberry, with only a very slight sourness. It finished with fruit: red cherry.
This was damn good for 20 bucks.
Cost:
Rating:
7.5P.S. I just noticed as I blogged this that the back label says it's from Evesham Wood. Nearly every bottle I've had (one minor exception comes to mind) from Evesham Wood has been very good, and a very good deal price-wise. So I guess I'm not surprised.
The Four Graces, Willamette Valley, Pinot Noir, 2006
My brother has been telling me about this vineyard for years. With all the Pinot we drink (and from Oregon no less), why haven't we tried this before? Well, apparently it took my brother coming into town to coax me into buying a bottle -- with him prodding me at the store. And I'm glad he did.
The nose was really nice, including vanilla, mushroom, artichoke, saw dust, slight chemical, and bark.The taste was really smooth, with red cherry (and hints of vanilla). The finish had a hint of sweetness, and hardly any of that common Oregon Pinot sourness I've been experiencing lately. Nice and yummy.
Cost:
Rating:
8.0
Niebaum-Coppola Estate Wines, Cabernet Franc, 1997
We had this bottle right after the Ken Wright, Shea 06 -- a hard act to follow. But this one really stood its ground. Cab Franc? Really? Yep, this was very good.
The nose was wild: bark, vegetable, mushroom, spice, pepper, nutmeg, asparagus, moss, clove and tobacco. Yeah, that's a lot of aroma. The taste was mainly plum, with nutmeg, pepper, blackberry, and artichoke. The flavor was really evenly split three ways: berry, spice and earth/vegetable. The finish was long and spicy: pepper and nutmeg, along with that slight apple dryness, and bark.
Some of the flavors reminds me of a Cab (perhaps I drink too much Pinot), but the body is definitely thinner. Yet I wouldn't say it's thin, especially after drinking a Pinot. I kept wanting to smell my fingers as I was drinking this: it's just so strongly nutmeg and tobacco. A memorable wine for sure.
Cost:
Rating:
8.5
Ken Wright Cellars, 'Shea Vineyard', Pinot Noir, 2006
Let me start by saying that while everyone (seemingly) loves wines sourced from Shea, I've not had such good luck. Most everything I've had marked 'Shea', hasn't been all that good, in my humble opinion. In fact, I recently had the '05 Shea from Ken Wright which didn't meet my expectations (which are admittedly high these days). So ...
My goodness, this is quite the bottle of wine. Super spicy. But beware, this wine started out with problems. First, it begins with a high acidity -- almost like a glass of orange juice. Ack. And to top that off (see the pict below), the sediment was almost thick. And no, not just at the bottom of the bottle. Beware, if you have this bottle, be sure to turn it up-right for 24 hours before pouring (you have been warned), and open it 30 minutes before drinking if it's not at least 2012.
The nose was heavy cinnamon ... seriously, it's like smelling a cinnamon stick! There was the smell of black berries (maybe blackberry?), and vanilla too.
The taste evolved a lot over the night. At first -- and I'm being literal here -- it tasted like sweet satsuma oranges! Like Orange Crush if you're old enough to remember that. Later, that citrus turned a bit sour, like a salomon berry. And finally, that citrus/sourness disappeared entirely, and left you with a cinnamon and cayanne combo. (This makes me wonder if a lot of those other Shea wines were drank just a little too quickly -- oops).
The rest of the taste was berry -- this is a quintessential Oregon Pinot Noir after all: red cherry and raspberry at first, and then darker berry as the night wore on: black cherry and blackberry. And yes, a bit of vanilla in the taste too (it's young after all).
The finish was rhubarb and spice. The spice was a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg and pepper (in that order). Denise exclaimed: "it's pumpkin pie wine!".
Cost:
Rating:
8.5