Source: http://thegrapesaroundtexas.com/2012/01/19/2nd-annual-chili-cook-off-crossroads-winery/
Monday, 30 April 2012
2nd Annual Chili Cook Off CrossRoads Winery
CrossRoads Winery in Frisco, Texas is having their second Annual Chili Cook Off. Just a few days left to get your registration in. To register as a Chili Cook-Off Contestant one must fill out the information below and return it to CrossRoads Winery by 6PM Sunday January 22. You can click here for the [...]
Napa Valley Travel News Update
A few forward-thinking wineries in the Napa Valley have installed electric car charging stations. Imagine driving up to a winery in your electric car and recharging your car while you recharge your palate with a taste of some of Napa Valley’s famous wines. Continue reading
Source: http://www.winecountrygetaways.com/napablog/napa-valley-travel-news-update/
Win Tickets to ZAP’s 2011 Grand Zinfandel Tasting at Fort Mason!
You heard correctly. Beyond Napa Valley is giving away 4 tickets to ZAP’s Grand Zinfandel Tasting at Fort Mason. All you have to do is write a Zinfandel-inspired Haiku. Click the link below for all of the details. We hope … Continue reading
Source: http://www.beyondnapavalley.com/blog/win-tickets-to-zaps-2011-grand-zinfandel-tasting-at-fort-mason/
2007 Pomerol
In this post you'll find an overview of the ratings of the 2007 Medoc 2. Grand Cru Classé. We have gathered all ratings from Robert Parker, Decanter and Wine Spectator.
WBW 74: Value Sparkling Wine
Sparkling wine is thought of by most American’s as a luxury to be consumed on special occasions like weddings, graduations and New Year’s eve parties. And that’s a shame since sparkling wine is so versatile at the table, pairing with a wide variety of food, made all over the world and available at every price point. Perhaps [...]
WBW 74: Value Sparkling Wine originally appeared on Winecast. Licensed under Creative Commons.
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Winecast/~3/K33rkIVgVPY/
Two from Mr. Ridge
I got a message recently from our good friend Christina Donley, Midwest Regional Sales Representative for Ridge Vineyards, telling me that she was in the neighborhood, wanted to check out Gomez at St. Andrews Hall in Detroit, and asking if I’d like to join her. I’ve been aware of this Brit band for some years, [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gangofpour/uncZ/~3/QZzo7s5Pp7U/two-from-mr-ridge
Sunday, 29 April 2012
No one wants to watch wine movies
Ok, so I got your attention. I’m sure some of you came racing over here to tell me I’m wrong. Sideways, Mondovino, A Good Year, French Kiss, and more … so many good, and not so good, films that speak of wine. I’m not here to debate the quality and accuracy of the films, but [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/HF9GUQWJLkk/
Last Minute Deals for the 2012 Boston Wine Expo
Looking for coupon codes for this year's Boston Wine Expo? A couple last minute deals have surfaced...
The first is from Groupon and offers $50 tickets for Sunday. The current price for Sunday is $85 so this represents a good last minute savings. You may recall the early bird Sunday price was $70 so in this case you can actually save a little by procrastinating.
The second is a $25 off coupon code for Wine Spectator subscribers for the Grand Cru Lounge which reduces the price from $175 down to $150.
I'm planning on attending the Expo Sunday so ping me on Twitter @RobertDwyer or drop me an email (wellesleywinepress@gmail.com) if you're going to be there. I'd love to say hello.
Visit and Tasting Report: Vaughn Duffy Wines
As I was looking at potential wineries to visit I was like a kid in a candy store. There are so many tremendous Pinot Noir producers to visit in Sonoma. Of all the wineries I visited, the one I'm most excited to write about is this one: Vaughn Duffy Wines
The name comes from a young couple that relocated to Sonoma from San Francisco: Matt Duffy & Sara Vaughn. I met with Matt at Vinify Wine Services - a custom crush facility for emerging winemakers where he works as a Cellar Master - to taste the two wines he produces: A Pinot Noir and a rosé,
I first heard of Vaughn Duffy from @tgutting on Twitter. He seems to always be drinking wines from California Pinot Noir producers I enjoy - like Siduri, Zepaltas, and Joseph Swan. I pinged him to ask what he thought were some up and coming producers I should check out. Vaughn Duffy was his recommendation.
The wines I tasted were just the second produced by Vaughn Duffy Wines so we're definitely getting in on the ground floor here.
Matt, as earnest and enthusiastic and kind as you can imagine, worked as an intern at Siduri so he follows a similar lineage as Ryan Zepaltas in that respect. While tasting his two current release wines - a 2010 Pinot Noir and a 2011 Rosé - I asked about his winemaking philosophy. Although he enjoys leaner Pinot Noir for personal consumption he wants to make wines his family and friends will enjoy. That they'll love.
And enjoy them I did.
The prior vintage of Vaughn Duffy rosé landed on the San Francisco Chronicle's Top 100 list of 2011. Quite an accomplishment for the first wines ever released under this label. Matt makes this wine from juice bled from premium Pinot Noir grapes from clients he works with at Vinify. To pay their generosity forward he donates $1 from every bottle sold to Sonoma charities. No two vintages are exactly the same - Matt says the 2011 vintage took longer for fermentation to begin - but many of the same crowd pleasing characteristics found in the 2010 rosé are also found in the 2011.
All of the winemakers I spoke with agreed that 2010 was a tough vintage for Pinot Noir. The growing season was extremely cool and grapes were slow to ripen. To assist ripening, leaves were removed late in the season. Then a rogue heat spike late in the season with temperatures well over 100F came along and fried exposed grapes.
When I hear that a vintage is "challenging" I tend to treat that as an indicator I should buy selectively. I asked each of the winemakers I spoke with about this and they said that good producers won't put out bad wines. If the grapes were truly fried they wouldn't have been picked. So what we'll see with 2010 Pinot Noir is reduced yields but good wines from good producers.
Although the 2010 Vaughn Duffy Pinot Noir is labeled "just" Russian River Valley, it could technically be labeled as a single vineyard wine. The grape source for the prior vintage was the Suacci vineyard (where Zepaltas and others have produced single vineyard Pinot Noirs in the past). However, in 2010 a fire near the Suacci vineyard imparted smoke taint on the Vaughn Duffy rows within the vineyard. As if the challenging overall weather conditions weren't enough!
So Matt sourced grapes from the Desmond vineyard which is Southwest of Windsor in the Russian River Valley. This is traditionally a warmer site so Matt thought the cooler growing season would be a good one for Pinot Noir. Based on what I tasted in the bottle, I think he was right.
Here are my notes on the wines:
2011 Vaughn Duffy Pinot Noir Rosé
14.1% Alcohol
$16
259 Cases Produced
The innocent light peach color did little to prepare me for how electric this wine is. Made using the Saignée method - juice bled from pressed Pinot Noir. Peaches, watermelon, and floral aromatics. Slight residual sugar is balanced wonderfully with sharp acidity. It's hard to imagine this bottle of wine at a deck party going unfinished. Terrific.
92/100 WWP: Outstanding
2010 Vaughn Duffy Pinot Noir
13.7% Alcohol
$39
99 Cases Produced
For my palate, this is a delicious wine. Ripe strawberries, cherries, and a round voluptuous personality. Fresh. Pure. Friendly. Hard to stop tasting. Just the second vintage from Vaughn Duffy. I like the style here.
92/100 WWP: Outstanding
Next Steps:
- Visit VaughnDuffyWines.com and sign up for their mailing list.
- If you're a New England friend and would like to go in on a mixed case with me drop me an email (wellesleywinepress@gmail.com) and let me know. I'd prefer to amortize shipping costs across a larger order.
A golden opportunity for all wine
You may have heard us talking about some exciting projects on the horizon, so we are very excited to announce Vrazon‘s latest project which will be officially launched at the 2012 London Wine Fair Access Zone, Wine Gold 2012. As we will be recruiting for ambassadors for the launch we thought we might give our friends [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheWineConversation/~3/KvyI1UjEkCE/
Marie Antoinette mirror from Boca Do Lobo resembles the mirror used in the Palace of Versailles
Are you aware of your true beauty, hidden behind your body and soul? If you want to see that real beauty, take a look at the reflection of your body on this Marie Antoinette mirror which is an exclusive piece made by the brand luxury house of home décor, Boca Do Lobo. This exquisite mirror [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/vagablond/ysSN/~3/EQsOeeD7aCg/
PA Wine Lovers Bent Over--Over Direct Shipping of Wine
"Pennsylvania residents could have a little more liquor freedom, but only if they prefer American wine over the French, German or Australian varieties....'The people of Pennsylvania are really getting less than what they should be getting,” Farnese said, adding that...
Chateau Latour to halt futures – what do you think??
Chateau Latour to halt en primeur After the 2011 vintage Chateau Latour, owned by billionaire Francois Pinault, will not pre-sell their wine as futures. What do you think? “That’s great. It’s good to see a billionaire doing the right thing for a change by not ripping off millionaires. Also, Salma Hayek is hot.” -Mandy Street, [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/blogspot/GuSC/~3/Z9Pg_rf0QEc/
Tranquil atmosphere of Pacific Ocean influences Pan Pacific Yokohama Bay Hotel
Indulge in the tranquil atmosphere of the deep blue Pacific Ocean with the Pan Pacific Yokohama Bay Hotel, a getaway for guests who want to enjoy the beauty of the colorful city overlooking the beautiful green park. The blue water body borders the city and the pristine beauty of this azure sea is a visual [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/vagablond/ysSN/~3/mRv-x-P_YBQ/
Saturday, 28 April 2012
Winners, Losers, Surprises and Upsets: Tasting 2009 Pinot Noir Blind
Would I be able to pick my favorites out of the line-up? Would I be able to differentiate California from Oregon and elsewhere? Would my favorite be a cheap wine - and make me feel like a fool for spending so much energy chasing after and exploring increasingly obscure producers the past few years?
The line-up included producers I'm familiar with and enjoy like Sojourn, Belle Glos, and Loring. Familiar names like Patricia Green, Melville, and Calera. Some I was looking forward to trying for the first time - especially Kutch. Some old world Pinot Noirs, including a few Burgundies, were thrown into the mix as well. And a low-priced ringer: Castle Rock.
All of the wines in the tasting were 2009s, and the focus was primarily on California. Wine Spectator has called 2009 California Pinot Noir the best vintage ever. 2009 red Burgundy is said to be an amazingly fruit forward vintage. A perfect time for folks like me to explore the region. 2009 Oregon Pinot Noir hasn't received the accolades 2008 did, but 2009 is a warmer vintage and the wines are more generous on release as a result. More like 2006 Oregon Pinot Noir - which I liked.
The wines were tasted blind in 3 flights with the wines assorted randomly. We knew the wines being tasted and their price points but we didn't know which of the 17 wines was which.
Flight 1
| Patricia Green Estate Pinot Noir (Oregon) | $35 |
| Kutch Savoy Vineyard Pinot Noir (Anderson Valley, CA) | $68 |
| Montinore Estate Pinot Noir (Oregon) | $28 |
| Friedrich Becker Estate Spatburgunder (Pfalz, Germany) | $25 |
| Sojourn Sangiacomo Vineyard Vineyard Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast, CA) | $50 |
| Brewer-Clifton Clos Pepe Vineyard Pinot Noir (Santa Rita Hills, CA) | $60 |
Thoughts on the flight: Tons of stylistic diversity here. Guessing a lot of these aren't from California. Probably a couple are from Burgundy or Oregon.
Flight 2
| Calera Pinot Noir (Central Coast, CA) | $26 |
| Belle Glos Clark & Telephone Vineyard (Santa Maria Valley, CA) | $43 |
| A Tribute to Grace Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyards Grenache (CA) | $42 |
| Domaine Eden Pinot Noir (Santa Cruz Mountains, CA) | $32 |
| Loring Graham Family Vineyard Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley, CA) | $48 |
Not as much diversity here. Thinking all of these are from California. Good wines but no huge standouts.
Flight 3
| Lignier-Michelot Cuvee Bertin Gevrey-Chambertin (Burgundy) | $70 |
| Castle Rock California Cuvee Pinot Noir (CA) | $11 |
| Sojourn Wohler Vineyard Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast, CA) | $50 |
| 2010 Calatroni Pinot Nero (Italy) | $18 |
| Melville Terraces Pinot Noir (Santa Rita Hills, CA) | $56 |
| Bouvier Bourgogne Le Chapitre Gevrey-Chambertin (Burgundy) | $23 |
Best flight of the night. Diverse and a couple of standout what I'm guessing are California Pinot Noirs.
Winners
The wines from Sojourn, Brewer-Clifton, and Melville showed well for me personally. And Sojourn and Brewer-Clifton showed well according to the group at large.
Losers
Belle Glos caught my eye on the list going in. I though it would be a benchmark wine of sorts that I might even be able to pick out having tried several bottles of their single vineyard wines and detecting a consistent stylistic pattern. But, speaking in March Madness terms, it was upset in the first round. The wines from Oregon (Patricia Green and Montinore Estate) didn't do particularly well either.
Surprises
A late entry - an $18 Italian Pinot Nero - tied the Brewer-Clifton for wine of the night. Quite an accomplishment for such an affordable wine. And who says bigger wines always show better in this kind of tasting?
Upsets
I'd never tried Kutch but finishing near the back of the pack - and weighing in at $68 - has me spooked. Also, the most expensive wine in the tasting - a $70 Burgundy - didn't do much to impress either.
Tasting Notes (sorted from my favorite to least favorite)
2009 Sojourn Wohler Vineyard Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast, CA) $50 94 WWP: OustandingTasting Note:
Powerful with ripe strawberry and fresh produce aromas. Caramel notes remain in the glass after a couple sips, but it's balanced with fresh fruit and layers of more serious structure. Complex. Love it.
Observations:
Tied for 2nd amongst the group, this was my favorite wine of the night, and just a bit better than the Melville Terraces in the same flight. The Sojourn showed a purity of fruit and balance that others were lacking. Pleased to see this producer come out on top.
2009 Melville Terraces Pinot Noir (Santa Rita Hills, CA) $56 93 WWP: OutstandingTasting Note:
Ooo - pretty. Pure California. Round. A little heat. Is this Melville or Belle Glos perhaps?
Observations:
I've enjoyed Melville's entry level bottling (~$30) even though they occasionally have some rough edges and a little heat. This one was very nice. Edged out by the Sojourn because I thought the Melville's fruit was obscured just a touch behind what seemed like a fairly substantial oak regiment.
2009 Brewer-Clifton Clos Pepe Vineyard Pinot Noir (Santa Rita Hills, CA) $60 92 WWP: OutstandingTasting Note:
Powerful flavors but balanced nicely with a good amount of acidity. Really nice. With a touch of heat it clings to the glass. But it's vibrant. This could be Sojourn. Or Belle Glos?
Observations:
I had no experience with Brewer-Clifton prior to this tasting. I hear the winemaker is the same as Melville so maybe it's not surprising to see them near each other in my rank order. A little on the spendy side but I'd buy more of this if I could find it in the $40s retail.
2009 Domaine Eden Pinot Noir (Santa Cruz Mountains, CA) $32 91 WWP: Outstanding
Tasting Note:
Limited aromatically but radiant and flavorful. Elegant. Pretty. If this is California, it's doing it in a restrained style. Kutch?
Observations:
A nice surprise here from an affordable producer I'd never heard of. And from the Santa Cruz Mountains too. If this is what I think Kutch would taste like after reading about Kutch, and this wine is quite a bit more affordable, I'll definitely be seeking this one out.
2009 Sojourn Sangiacomo Vineyard Vineyard Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast, CA) $50 90 WWP: Outstanding
Tasting Note:
Happy magenta color but the flavors are melancholy. Beautiful nose of black cherry, raspberries, and mushrooms. Secondary flavors of cola and coconut. Long finish. Like it.
Observations:
Another winner for Sojourn and looking back on the notes it sounds like one of the most compelling wines of the night. Would definitely buy again and recommend others check out Sojourn. They've got one of the most consumer-friendly mailing lists I've come across.
2009 Loring Graham Family Vineyard Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley, CA) $48 90 WWP: Outstanding
Tasting Note:
Dark in color. Caramel, then strawberries and cranberries. Some rough edges. Is this Sojourn? Might be a little much, but it tastes really good. Could this be Belle Glos?
Observations:
A solid showing here for Loring and the tasting notes are not too surprising having tried a number of their wines from this and recent vintages. Along with Siduri I consider Loring to be a bell weather value-priced high quality California Pinot Noir producer. The single vineyard bottlings climb up a bit in price. As with many single vineyard wines I'm not sure they're always worth it. Another consumer-friendly mailing list to check out.
2010 Calatroni Pinot Nero (Italy) $18 89 WWP: Very GoodTasting Note:
Oregon? Bubble gum. Don't think it's got that California Pinot Noir flavor profile. Nice, but not my favorite.
Observations:
Tied for 1st among the group. That's saying something for an Italian wine in a line-up of stacked California wines costing many times more. At $18 I'd try this one again if I could find it. Very interesting. Try to find it on Wine-Searcher
2009 Calera Pinot Noir (Central Coast, CA) $26 88 WWP: Very Good
Tasting Note:
Lively fresh fruit. Highish viscosity. Probably California. Straightforward. Tasty.
Observations:
Tied for 3rd in the group. Pretty much in line with what I wrote when I tasted this non-blind for the first time a couple weeks ago. I like this around $20 and my enthusiasm would increase more closer to $15. Can't see my way to the 92 point rating and accolades Robert Parker bestowed on this one but it is very good in my opinion.
2009 Friedrich Becker Estate Spatburgunder (Pfalz, Germany) $25 88 WWP: Very Good
Tasting Note:
Think this one is from Oregon. A little green and twangy. Low viscosity. Pretty, but not my favorite.
Observations:
Affordable and interesting to try a Pinot Noir from Germany.
2009 Castle Rock California Cuvee Pinot Noir (CA) $11 88 WWP: Very Good
Tasting Note:
Very enjoyable and surely from California. Liked it a lot but it lacks some markings I look for in California Pinot Noir flavor-wise. A little dusty and quirky.
Observations:
Pretty strong showing here for a widely available wine that can be found significantly south of $10 if you look around.
Bouvier Bourgogne Le Chapitre Gevrey-Chambertin (Burgundy) $23 88 WWP: Very Good
Tasting Note:
Leuden's cherry cough drops which I tend to like, along with some vegetal components that knocked it down a bit. Is this Grenache?
Observations:
Tied for 2nd in the group. An affordable Burgundy with some things I liked and others I didn't.
A Tribute to Grace Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyards Grenache (CA) $42 87 WWP: Very Good
Tasting Note:
Tied for 3rd in the group. Light in color. Muted nose. Some quirky notes. Germany? Not California.
Observations:
Well this one confused me. I was surprised to see a California Grenache so light in color compared to Pinot Noirs. Interesting.
Lignier-Michelot Cuvee Bertin Gevrey-Chambertin (Burgundy) $70 86 WWP: Very Good
Tasting Note:
Flinty with quirky bubble gum notes. Not bad but quite a few off notes.
Observations:
I think I said at the time, "typical Burgundy: An expensive wine nobody really cares much for". Nobody at the tasting had anything nice to say about this one and it was the most expensive wine tasted. I know it's a far reaching generalization to bag on Burgundy and some day I'll come back and laugh at myself for being resistant to Burgundy's charms, but this one did little to compel me to go deeper into Burgundy. The Wine Advocate rated this wine 90-92 points.
Belle Glos Clark & Telephone Vineyard (Santa Maria Valley, CA) $43 85 WWP: Very Good
Tasting Notes:
Smoky. Some slight nail polish notes distract. A really nice wine but too many off notes. Definitely California.
Observations:
Wow. What a huge surprise to see a single vineyard Belle Glos show so poorly blind when I've found their wines to be so utterly (and reliably) delicious. I will say that the Clark & Telephone is my least favorite of the 3 single vineyard Pinot Noirs they produce (Las Alturas being the favorite, and Taylor Lane being the second favorite).
I was disturbed by this result so I opened another bottle of it the next night at home. While I can see why I wrote the things I did, when tasting on its own there's no way I would have rated it this low. This wine has a unique style. It's bold and yes some of the notes are a little less than pure fruit. I'd probably rate the bottle I tasted from at home 90 points. Blind tasting is humbling once again.
Kutch Savoy Vineyard Pinot Noir (Anderson Valley, CA) $68 85 WWP: Very Good
Tasting Note:
For a moment I thought this wine might be corked but it wasn't. Pungent with fruit that's muted and dominated by menthol (spearmint?) aromas. Low viscosity. Don't think this is from California. Quirky.
Observations:
Perhaps more of a disappointment than the Belle Glos. I'd never tried Kutch before and I just finished a month-long search to acquire some. Now I'm wishing I'd shown more restraint. I've read that their wines used to be bigger but were showing more restraint in a Rhys-like manner lately. Come to think of it I wasn't too thrilled with a bottle of Rhys I opened recently either. Definitely interested in trying more but will try my best not to fall under the spell of the pretty label.
Patricia Green Estate Pinot Noir (Oregon) $35 84 WWP: Good
Tasting Note:
Perfume nose. Falls a little flat on the palate. Kind of fake-tasting. Tastes like California but not high quality?
Observations:
Totally missed the mark here. I had a bottle of this ('08 vintage) and thought it was good but typical Oregon Pinot Noir. My tasting note makes it sound like I thought maybe this was the Castle Rock.
Montinore Estate Pinot Noir (Oregon) $28 78 WWP: Average
Tasting Note:
Not from California and possibly flawed. Smells of damp cellar floor or Home Depot near the fertilizer.
Observations:
Well, it wasn't from California. I didn't hear anyone else say TCA so I don't think it was flawed. But it was funky.
Conclusions and Recommendations
What a tasting - full of winners and losers, surprises and shockers. Once again blind tasting proves to be a valuable tool for removing bias and analyzing wines without preconceived notions.
It was reassuring to see the Sojourn wines show well in this blind format. But not just for their brawn (some call them a Cab-drinker's Pinot Noir) but for the diversity they showed. They're definitely allowing the personality of each site to be reflected in their wines, but showing them in their best possible light. Like a portrait photographer.
The wines from Brewer-Clifton and Melville, along with some other recent favorable experiences from the region renew my enthusiasm for exploring Pinot Noir from Southern California. They're often plush and forward but when done well like these they can be quite enjoyable.
Both the Sojourn Wohler and the Brewer-Clifton Clos Pepe showed well with the group.
The $18 Italian Pinot Noir tying for 1st in the group was quite an accomplishment. I liked it (but didn't love it) and would be open to trying more Italian wine made from this grape.
The Domaine Eden (91 Wine Advocate, 91 WWP) is an intriguing play. I'd like to learn more about them.
If you like California Pinot Noir I'll be writing up a trip report from a recent trip to Sonoma. I'd love it if you subscribed to the Wellesley Wine Press to hear about those visits.
Question of the Day: What do you think about these results? Or blind tasting in general?
Wine-derful
Judges completed the first day of tasting the finest vintages the wine world has to offer at the 70th Los Angeles International Wine & Spirits Competition. Stepping into the Millard Sheets Center for the Arts, where judging is taking place, the aroma is musky, flowery, fruity, nutty. Pretty powerful! Judges gather around round tables comparing [...]
Winners, Losers, Surprises and Upsets: Tasting 2009 Pinot Noir Blind
Would I be able to pick my favorites out of the line-up? Would I be able to differentiate California from Oregon and elsewhere? Would my favorite be a cheap wine - and make me feel like a fool for spending so much energy chasing after and exploring increasingly obscure producers the past few years?
The line-up included producers I'm familiar with and enjoy like Sojourn, Belle Glos, and Loring. Familiar names like Patricia Green, Melville, and Calera. Some I was looking forward to trying for the first time - especially Kutch. Some old world Pinot Noirs, including a few Burgundies, were thrown into the mix as well. And a low-priced ringer: Castle Rock.
All of the wines in the tasting were 2009s, and the focus was primarily on California. Wine Spectator has called 2009 California Pinot Noir the best vintage ever. 2009 red Burgundy is said to be an amazingly fruit forward vintage. A perfect time for folks like me to explore the region. 2009 Oregon Pinot Noir hasn't received the accolades 2008 did, but 2009 is a warmer vintage and the wines are more generous on release as a result. More like 2006 Oregon Pinot Noir - which I liked.
The wines were tasted blind in 3 flights with the wines assorted randomly. We knew the wines being tasted and their price points but we didn't know which of the 17 wines was which.
Flight 1
| Patricia Green Estate Pinot Noir (Oregon) | $35 |
| Kutch Savoy Vineyard Pinot Noir (Anderson Valley, CA) | $68 |
| Montinore Estate Pinot Noir (Oregon) | $28 |
| Friedrich Becker Estate Spatburgunder (Pfalz, Germany) | $25 |
| Sojourn Sangiacomo Vineyard Vineyard Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast, CA) | $50 |
| Brewer-Clifton Clos Pepe Vineyard Pinot Noir (Santa Rita Hills, CA) | $60 |
Thoughts on the flight: Tons of stylistic diversity here. Guessing a lot of these aren't from California. Probably a couple are from Burgundy or Oregon.
Flight 2
| Calera Pinot Noir (Central Coast, CA) | $26 |
| Belle Glos Clark & Telephone Vineyard (Santa Maria Valley, CA) | $43 |
| A Tribute to Grace Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyards Grenache (CA) | $42 |
| Domaine Eden Pinot Noir (Santa Cruz Mountains, CA) | $32 |
| Loring Graham Family Vineyard Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley, CA) | $48 |
Not as much diversity here. Thinking all of these are from California. Good wines but no huge standouts.
Flight 3
| Lignier-Michelot Cuvee Bertin Gevrey-Chambertin (Burgundy) | $70 |
| Castle Rock California Cuvee Pinot Noir (CA) | $11 |
| Sojourn Wohler Vineyard Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast, CA) | $50 |
| 2010 Calatroni Pinot Nero (Italy) | $18 |
| Melville Terraces Pinot Noir (Santa Rita Hills, CA) | $56 |
| Bouvier Bourgogne Le Chapitre Gevrey-Chambertin (Burgundy) | $23 |
Best flight of the night. Diverse and a couple of standout what I'm guessing are California Pinot Noirs.
Winners
The wines from Sojourn, Brewer-Clifton, and Melville showed well for me personally. And Sojourn and Brewer-Clifton showed well according to the group at large.
Losers
Belle Glos caught my eye on the list going in. I though it would be a benchmark wine of sorts that I might even be able to pick out having tried several bottles of their single vineyard wines and detecting a consistent stylistic pattern. But, speaking in March Madness terms, it was upset in the first round. The wines from Oregon (Patricia Green and Montinore Estate) didn't do particularly well either.
Surprises
A late entry - an $18 Italian Pinot Nero - tied the Brewer-Clifton for wine of the night. Quite an accomplishment for such an affordable wine. And who says bigger wines always show better in this kind of tasting?
Upsets
I'd never tried Kutch but finishing near the back of the pack - and weighing in at $68 - has me spooked. Also, the most expensive wine in the tasting - a $70 Burgundy - didn't do much to impress either.
Tasting Notes (sorted from my favorite to least favorite)
2009 Sojourn Wohler Vineyard Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast, CA) $50 94 WWP: OustandingTasting Note:
Powerful with ripe strawberry and fresh produce aromas. Caramel notes remain in the glass after a couple sips, but it's balanced with fresh fruit and layers of more serious structure. Complex. Love it.
Observations:
Tied for 2nd amongst the group, this was my favorite wine of the night, and just a bit better than the Melville Terraces in the same flight. The Sojourn showed a purity of fruit and balance that others were lacking. Pleased to see this producer come out on top.
2009 Melville Terraces Pinot Noir (Santa Rita Hills, CA) $56 93 WWP: OutstandingTasting Note:
Ooo - pretty. Pure California. Round. A little heat. Is this Melville or Belle Glos perhaps?
Observations:
I've enjoyed Melville's entry level bottling (~$30) even though they occasionally have some rough edges and a little heat. This one was very nice. Edged out by the Sojourn because I thought the Melville's fruit was obscured just a touch behind what seemed like a fairly substantial oak regiment.
2009 Brewer-Clifton Clos Pepe Vineyard Pinot Noir (Santa Rita Hills, CA) $60 92 WWP: OutstandingTasting Note:
Powerful flavors but balanced nicely with a good amount of acidity. Really nice. With a touch of heat it clings to the glass. But it's vibrant. This could be Sojourn. Or Belle Glos?
Observations:
I had no experience with Brewer-Clifton prior to this tasting. I hear the winemaker is the same as Melville so maybe it's not surprising to see them near each other in my rank order. A little on the spendy side but I'd buy more of this if I could find it in the $40s retail.
2009 Domaine Eden Pinot Noir (Santa Cruz Mountains, CA) $32 91 WWP: Outstanding
Tasting Note:
Limited aromatically but radiant and flavorful. Elegant. Pretty. If this is California, it's doing it in a restrained style. Kutch?
Observations:
A nice surprise here from an affordable producer I'd never heard of. And from the Santa Cruz Mountains too. If this is what I think Kutch would taste like after reading about Kutch, and this wine is quite a bit more affordable, I'll definitely be seeking this one out.
2009 Sojourn Sangiacomo Vineyard Vineyard Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast, CA) $50 90 WWP: Outstanding
Tasting Note:
Happy magenta color but the flavors are melancholy. Beautiful nose of black cherry, raspberries, and mushrooms. Secondary flavors of cola and coconut. Long finish. Like it.
Observations:
Another winner for Sojourn and looking back on the notes it sounds like one of the most compelling wines of the night. Would definitely buy again and recommend others check out Sojourn. They've got one of the most consumer-friendly mailing lists I've come across.
2009 Loring Graham Family Vineyard Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley, CA) $48 90 WWP: Outstanding
Tasting Note:
Dark in color. Caramel, then strawberries and cranberries. Some rough edges. Is this Sojourn? Might be a little much, but it tastes really good. Could this be Belle Glos?
Observations:
A solid showing here for Loring and the tasting notes are not too surprising having tried a number of their wines from this and recent vintages. Along with Siduri I consider Loring to be a bell weather value-priced high quality California Pinot Noir producer. The single vineyard bottlings climb up a bit in price. As with many single vineyard wines I'm not sure they're always worth it. Another consumer-friendly mailing list to check out.
2010 Calatroni Pinot Nero (Italy) $18 89 WWP: Very GoodTasting Note:
Oregon? Bubble gum. Don't think it's got that California Pinot Noir flavor profile. Nice, but not my favorite.
Observations:
Tied for 1st among the group. That's saying something for an Italian wine in a line-up of stacked California wines costing many times more. At $18 I'd try this one again if I could find it. Very interesting. Try to find it on Wine-Searcher
2009 Calera Pinot Noir (Central Coast, CA) $26 88 WWP: Very Good
Tasting Note:
Lively fresh fruit. Highish viscosity. Probably California. Straightforward. Tasty.
Observations:
Tied for 3rd in the group. Pretty much in line with what I wrote when I tasted this non-blind for the first time a couple weeks ago. I like this around $20 and my enthusiasm would increase more closer to $15. Can't see my way to the 92 point rating and accolades Robert Parker bestowed on this one but it is very good in my opinion.
2009 Friedrich Becker Estate Spatburgunder (Pfalz, Germany) $25 88 WWP: Very Good
Tasting Note:
Think this one is from Oregon. A little green and twangy. Low viscosity. Pretty, but not my favorite.
Observations:
Affordable and interesting to try a Pinot Noir from Germany.
2009 Castle Rock California Cuvee Pinot Noir (CA) $11 88 WWP: Very Good
Tasting Note:
Very enjoyable and surely from California. Liked it a lot but it lacks some markings I look for in California Pinot Noir flavor-wise. A little dusty and quirky.
Observations:
Pretty strong showing here for a widely available wine that can be found significantly south of $10 if you look around.
Bouvier Bourgogne Le Chapitre Gevrey-Chambertin (Burgundy) $23 88 WWP: Very Good
Tasting Note:
Leuden's cherry cough drops which I tend to like, along with some vegetal components that knocked it down a bit. Is this Grenache?
Observations:
Tied for 2nd in the group. An affordable Burgundy with some things I liked and others I didn't.
A Tribute to Grace Santa Barbara Highlands Vineyards Grenache (CA) $42 87 WWP: Very Good
Tasting Note:
Tied for 3rd in the group. Light in color. Muted nose. Some quirky notes. Germany? Not California.
Observations:
Well this one confused me. I was surprised to see a California Grenache so light in color compared to Pinot Noirs. Interesting.
Lignier-Michelot Cuvee Bertin Gevrey-Chambertin (Burgundy) $70 86 WWP: Very Good
Tasting Note:
Flinty with quirky bubble gum notes. Not bad but quite a few off notes.
Observations:
I think I said at the time, "typical Burgundy: An expensive wine nobody really cares much for". Nobody at the tasting had anything nice to say about this one and it was the most expensive wine tasted. I know it's a far reaching generalization to bag on Burgundy and some day I'll come back and laugh at myself for being resistant to Burgundy's charms, but this one did little to compel me to go deeper into Burgundy. The Wine Advocate rated this wine 90-92 points.
Belle Glos Clark & Telephone Vineyard (Santa Maria Valley, CA) $43 85 WWP: Very Good
Tasting Notes:
Smoky. Some slight nail polish notes distract. A really nice wine but too many off notes. Definitely California.
Observations:
Wow. What a huge surprise to see a single vineyard Belle Glos show so poorly blind when I've found their wines to be so utterly (and reliably) delicious. I will say that the Clark & Telephone is my least favorite of the 3 single vineyard Pinot Noirs they produce (Las Alturas being the favorite, and Taylor Lane being the second favorite).
I was disturbed by this result so I opened another bottle of it the next night at home. While I can see why I wrote the things I did, when tasting on its own there's no way I would have rated it this low. This wine has a unique style. It's bold and yes some of the notes are a little less than pure fruit. I'd probably rate the bottle I tasted from at home 90 points. Blind tasting is humbling once again.
Kutch Savoy Vineyard Pinot Noir (Anderson Valley, CA) $68 85 WWP: Very Good
Tasting Note:
For a moment I thought this wine might be corked but it wasn't. Pungent with fruit that's muted and dominated by menthol (spearmint?) aromas. Low viscosity. Don't think this is from California. Quirky.
Observations:
Perhaps more of a disappointment than the Belle Glos. I'd never tried Kutch before and I just finished a month-long search to acquire some. Now I'm wishing I'd shown more restraint. I've read that their wines used to be bigger but were showing more restraint in a Rhys-like manner lately. Come to think of it I wasn't too thrilled with a bottle of Rhys I opened recently either. Definitely interested in trying more but will try my best not to fall under the spell of the pretty label.
Patricia Green Estate Pinot Noir (Oregon) $35 84 WWP: Good
Tasting Note:
Perfume nose. Falls a little flat on the palate. Kind of fake-tasting. Tastes like California but not high quality?
Observations:
Totally missed the mark here. I had a bottle of this ('08 vintage) and thought it was good but typical Oregon Pinot Noir. My tasting note makes it sound like I thought maybe this was the Castle Rock.
Montinore Estate Pinot Noir (Oregon) $28 78 WWP: Average
Tasting Note:
Not from California and possibly flawed. Smells of damp cellar floor or Home Depot near the fertilizer.
Observations:
Well, it wasn't from California. I didn't hear anyone else say TCA so I don't think it was flawed. But it was funky.
Conclusions and Recommendations
What a tasting - full of winners and losers, surprises and shockers. Once again blind tasting proves to be a valuable tool for removing bias and analyzing wines without preconceived notions.
It was reassuring to see the Sojourn wines show well in this blind format. But not just for their brawn (some call them a Cab-drinker's Pinot Noir) but for the diversity they showed. They're definitely allowing the personality of each site to be reflected in their wines, but showing them in their best possible light. Like a portrait photographer.
The wines from Brewer-Clifton and Melville, along with some other recent favorable experiences from the region renew my enthusiasm for exploring Pinot Noir from Southern California. They're often plush and forward but when done well like these they can be quite enjoyable.
Both the Sojourn Wohler and the Brewer-Clifton Clos Pepe showed well with the group.
The $18 Italian Pinot Noir tying for 1st in the group was quite an accomplishment. I liked it (but didn't love it) and would be open to trying more Italian wine made from this grape.
The Domaine Eden (91 Wine Advocate, 91 WWP) is an intriguing play. I'd like to learn more about them.
If you like California Pinot Noir I'll be writing up a trip report from a recent trip to Sonoma. I'd love it if you subscribed to the Wellesley Wine Press to hear about those visits.
Question of the Day: What do you think about these results? Or blind tasting in general?
The Nature of the Beast
The Wine & Spirit Wholesalers of America, the national association representing American wine wholesalers, finished their annual convention in Las Vegas on Friday with their CEO Craig Wolf warning members that the challenge of "privatization" “is being used as a...
Alan Kerr’s Vintage’s March 31st Release – Tasting Notes
It has been a while since I was able to venture to London to sample some of the liquid goods soon to arrive at your local vintages store, but the wine gods were with me and I was able, and willing to sip a few of the wines slotted for release on the 31st of [...]
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gangofpour/uncZ/~3/z_YhYaqy4nc/alan-kerrs-vintages-march-31
Shut the Front Door: A Vinsane, Pay-it-Forward, Drinks 4X the Price Wine Recommendation
The problem with sleuthing out good wine under $10 is the recommendations usually come with provisos like, “This is pretty good for the price,” or “This isn’t bad for the style of wine.” Rare is the time that a wine recommendation for vino under $10 is just, “This is a fantastic wine.”
Who can blame the wine recommender for their caveats and written sleights of hand when they’re left to tout the middling amongst the insipid; the redemptive within the felonious? It’s like the back-handed compliment from the parents of an axe murderer who note plaintively from the front stoop, “He has a good heart.”
Adding insult to this injury, it seems like nearly all domestic wines under $10 are manipulated to appeal to a demographic. Far too often, they are oak chipped to a formula, softened, vortexed and plumped back up into a wine beverage complete with a label that screams, “Benignly vague and blandly appealing. I am inoffensive to a large group of people.”
And, forget about pairing under $10 bottles of vino with food. Do so only if your idea of wine pairing centers on condiments with artificial coloring and HFCS, so duotone are the wine flavor profiles.
When it comes to what should be reliable international value wines, forget about it – most of them aren’t even has-beens, they never were. France and Italy – I’m talking to you. For a sawbuck, these are sad, middling, barely potable wines evocative of an athlete whose entire identity is wrapped up in jockdom, but for whom life’s fate never provided him acclaim beyond the local playground. The fact that these wines often taste like a sweaty gym sock may, in fact, be no small coincidence.
Harrumph.
What I want is what most wine consumers want: A non-spoofulated wine with quality that stands on its own—a good wine at $9.99 that is a good wine, period. No half-hearted caveats associated with it. If the wine pairs with dinner, instead of being a digestif, all the better. Tie me up, spank me and call me Shirley if this mystical and elusive under $10 wine also has any of the following characteristics: Organic, old vines, unfiltered, native yeast, judicious oak, and complexity whilst being food-friendly.
I’m pretty sure I won’t have to have any dalliances in the wine S&M dungeon save for one emerging country.
Recently, I started to see glimpses of where quality, inexpensive wines might be coming from in the future when I tasted through a sampling of wines from the Navarra region of Spain. One $5 bottle of wine was so screamingly good it defied the law of reason.
And, then, I received a recommendation for Masia de Bielsa’s 2009 Garnacha, a Spanish wine from the Campo de Borja area in the Aragon region of Spain, southeast of Navarre and La Rioja. Adam Japko, a wino friend and author of Wine-Zag, and I did some horse-trading on bottles and he threw in a bottle of wine in a wine shipment to me and noted, “Curious what you think of this…”
What do I think? I think I owe you favors to last a month of Sundays for turning me onto a beauty.
Of course, wine recommendations don’t happen in a vacuum and the Masia de Bielsa 2009 Garnacha is no different even if it follows a certain circuitous Internet-borne dynamic that seems unusual even in this day and age of “brand vs. land, there are no secret wine values anymore…” online battle.
Jose Pastor is a wunderkind (30 years old) wine importer with a fast growing reputation amongst wine insiders for his portfolio of Spanish wines that are typically natural in style – producers who farm organically when possible, emphasize terroir, use ambient yeasts, filter sparingly and use minimal oak. In other words, his wines, and especially his inexpensive wine selections, are the anti-brand. Or, should I say, “They’re the antidote to brand wines.” The good stuff.
Jose’s wines won’t have an end-cap in stores with promotional materials, nor will they follow you on Twitter or ply you with faux-flattery for a “Like” on Facebook. Ditto that for Pastor playing the points scoring game. He doesn’t do it. The wines and wineries in his portfolio simply represent something good and honest and rely on smart trade buyers who know good juice when they taste it and are interested in paying that forward to consumer’s one bottle at a time.
This formula isn’t a recipe for getting rich, but it is a recipe for long-term, slow-burning growth based on a purity of vision.
When Richard Schnitzlein, a longtime wine buyer in the greater Boston area, took over the wine section at Ferns Country store in Carlisle, MA in early 2011, he started to remake the selection of wines on offer and that meant much more diversity, spreading the selection from two distributors to 14 over a seven month period.
A part of that remaking was to engage Genuine Wine Selections, a wine distributor in Massachusetts, who carries the Jose Pastor portfolio.
When Genuine Wine Selections partner Dennis Quinn showed up at Ferns in the spring with samples to taste, the ’09 Bielsa was a part of the mix.
Enamored, Schnitzlein started stocking the wine. “Initially (the Bielsa) was a hand sell, but (it) soon became a wine that people were asking for,” he noted.
Japko was turned onto the Bielsa from Schnitzlein and mentioned the Bielsa on his site in June. A September Ferns promotion dropped the price on the Bielsa from $11.99 to 9.95 and that yielded 15 cases of the Bielsa moving through the door for Ferns including a stock-up from Japko.
Within a week of receiving my bottle from Japko, I had taken to the Internet to find this wine and I bought a ½ case online from Marketview Liquor in New York state who sells it for $7.99 a bottle.
I’ve gifted a bottle to a friend at work, and, well, I’m writing extensively about this vino, too – my own pay-it-forward juju for having been tipped off to this wine.
The moral of this story? Finding a gem of a wine for $10 or under isn’t a hopeless process, but you do have to sift a lot of muck to find the gold nugget. In my opinion, you’re more likely to find a gem by keeping your ears open for word of mouth recommendations from wine-inclined friends or a local wine shop then to take to the wine aisles of your supermarket wine section playing brand roulette. Here, the internet and Wine-searcher.com is your friend, as well. In addition, Spain is a country that is producing some excellent wines across all price tiers, and my very recent and very anecdotal track record at the lower-end has been very good. And, finally, it pays to know people. It pays to know what Jose Pastor is all about, and it pays to know the Richard Schnitzlein’s and Adam Japko’s of the world who freely share where to find the good stuff, even if finding the good stuff requires an Importer in California, a wine buyer in Massachusetts, a generous friend and internet ecommerce.
2009 Bielsa Vinas Viejas Garnacha
Huge, pure nose with mulberry juice, black cherry, orange peel, earth and a meaty savory quality that gives way to an expressive palate with plum, black cherry, spice and fresh squeezed orange juice. The finish lingers with plum, pepper and earthiness. This is a varietally correct, gorgeous, natural, unfiltered wine that screams for food and would be a bargain at 4X the price. Highly recommended. At under $10 a bottle, you’d be foolhardy not to find this wine.
Friday, 27 April 2012
Bytox Hangover Prevention Remedy: Might this thing actually work?
Not wanting to risk a raging hangover myself, and not wanting to share my tales of overconsumption, I reached out to my friend George Kaplan who agreed to test the Bytox patch in a controlled experiment and share his thoughts for our collective consideration. He happens to be an excellent drinker. And as you'll find below, an equally excellent writer.
Bytoxification
I must admit, I was more than a bit skeptical when a friend of mine approached me with the opportunity to test the latest hangover remedy, bytox™. I am usually leery of these remedies, but with a full slate of holiday parties looming on my calendar, I decided I could use any help I could get.
The Setup
Before setting out for the evening, I thoroughly read the bytox™ directions, and chose to ignore the warning to “Stay well hydrated”. Sound advice, yes, but a bit of a cheat, as anyone who stays well hydrated is unlikely to end up with a hangover anyway.
My evening’s consumption began at 7:00 with a solid meal at my favorite haunt, and ended at midnight. Per my custom, I mixed and matched and stuck to no pre-set pattern; the final tally was four Old Fashioneds (Old Overholt), three Gin & Tonics (Beefeater), and two bottles of Lone Star.
The Results
As you all can imagine, I wasn’t exactly at my best the next morning. I did get up around five o’clock to have a glass of water and gobble down 800 mg of ibuprofen, but that’s my usual morning-after-a-debacle procedure, and I wanted to stick to it. You know, this being scientific and all.
The bytox ™ did nothing at all to mitigate the day after lethargy, and I really fell off a cliff after two o’clock or so. But, skeptical though I was heading into this experiment, I must admit that the patch did help to alleviate some of the other, traditional “hangover” symptoms. The horrible metallic taste in my mouth was absent, as was the stabbing pain behind my eyes and the hollow feeling that one sometimes gets the morning after drinking too much whisky. I had only a small headache, and the day-after hangover fogginess was noticeably diminished.
The Recommendation
I would definitely use bytox ™ again. I don’t want to oversell this, of course; I was still banged up the next day, but I was able to function productively, rather than slumping senseless in a chair all day. What I did was excessive. If someone were to use this product because they usually have a little hangover after drinking a bottle of red wine the evening before, I’d hazard a guess that this handy patch would overcome the hangover altogether.
So there you have it. An impartial review of the Bytox Hangover Remedy.
For more information, and to request a sample Bytox patch for free ($1.50 shipping) visit:
http://bytox.com
Question of the Day: What do you think of the idea of a hangover prevention patch? What are some of your favorite hangover prevention tips?
Protected: The Zinfandel Festival 2012: A new AVA to be reckoned with
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
Source: http://www.beyondnapavalley.com/blog/the-zinfandel-festival-2012-a-new-ava-to-be-reckoned-with/
Rockin’ at Wine & Cars
Everyone had a great time at Wine & Cars Under the Stars last weekend. Don’t believe me? Check out the video: The evening was a great success, netting nearly $50,000 for the foundations at Fairplex and their programs. If you missed Wine & Cars, you can taste the award-winning wines of the Los Angeles International [...]
Tasting Report: 2009 Radio-Coteau Pinot Noir
Radio-Coteau (rā’ dē ō - kō tō’) adj. A colloquial expression suggesting “word of mouth.” Region: Northern Rhone.
Literal Translation: broadcasting from the hillside.
I can't say for sure where I first heard of Radio-Coteau but I'm glad I did. It may have been @DrncPno on Twitter that planted the first seed which in turn encouraged me to buy a bottle of their 2006 La Neblina Pinot Noir. Paired with a simple mushroom pizza on a Friday night that wine was simply amazing. Not an off note in the bottle. Purely delicious.
Their focus is on Pinot Noir from the North Coast of California (Sonoma Coast, Russian River Valley, Anderson Valley). They also produce Chardonnay and Syrah.
Their wines sell in the $40-$55 range which is one of the things I love about California Pinot Noir: You can buy wines from top producers at entry-level Napa Cab prices.
Stylistically, I think their wines are similar to Dehlinger's: Balanced and pure yet unabashedly new world. Proprietor Eric Sussman spent time as an associate winemaker at Dehlinger - as I learned in this excellent informative piece from Terroirist - so perhaps the similarities are more than coincidental. Both Dehlinger and Radio-Coteau produce Pinot Noirs with Goldridge fruit.
I hopped on their mailing list last year tried a couple of Pinot Noirs from the highly regarded 2009 vintage. They were as distinctive as they were impressive. Here are my thoughts:
- 2009 Radio-Coteau Pinot Noir La Neblina - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (2/19/2012)
A beautifully balanced yet powerful and flavorful California Pinot Noir. The wine is unfined and unfiltered yet beautifully radiant in the glass. Wonderfully aromatic immediately upon opening with classic aromas and flavors of bright cherries, black tea, sweet spice, and cola. Silky mouthfeel and long finishes that stays with you long enough to want to take another sip. Tremendous stuff and a very good value at $42. Highly recommended. Enjoyed it quite a bit more than the 2009 Radio Coteau Alberigi which was dominated by orange peel. (94 points) - 2009 Radio-Coteau Pinot Noir Alberigi - USA, California, Sonoma County, Russian River Valley (12/4/2011)
There's a lot here to like but the orange peel aromas and flavors were overly dominant for me at this point which makes it hard to go nuts about the bottle I tasted from. (91 points)
And here is my note for the 2006 I mentioned earlier: - 2006 Radio-Coteau Pinot Noir La Neblina - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (9/18/2010)
Really enjoyed this bottle. What struck me about it as being memorable was that it didn't have an off note or aroma in the entire bottle. And the amplitude was spot-on as well. Classy stuff. Enjoyed thoroughly with a mushroom pizza. (92 points)
Their 2010s are just being released to mailing list members. Like other Sonoma Pinot producers they're saying the vintage was challenging but successful. In general I'm buying 2010 California Pinot Noir, but trying to be selective. 2009 was a tremendous vintage and there's still inventory around. And there's always another great vintage right around the corner.
For more information on Radio-Coteau visit their website and sign up for their mailing list. You can occasionally find their wines at retail as well.
Question of the Day: Have you tried Radio-Coteau? If so what did you think? If not, what are some California Pinot Noir mailing lists you'd recommend?
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