Articles by Wine Weekly Admin

Shepherds Ridge Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2006

I picked this up because it was cheap and brought in by Stevenot, an importer who I’ve trusted in the past. Many years ago, Stevenot introduced the USA to McGuigan Brothers wines from Australia. Much has happened since then, with McGuigan going from little-known niche brand to mass-market, Stevenot filing and then recovering from a Chapter 11 filing, and many other details that have no bearing on the review here.

Shepherds Ridge is a 650-acre estate in the Wairau Valley of New Zealand that benefits from an alluvial, mineral-rich soil that features “pea gravels” — that is, pea-sized rocks that were carried by the Pacific Ocean and allow for excellent drainage in the vineyards. Interestingly, almost half of the estate is unplanted, and left as a nature reserve. This particular wine is made from Sauvignon Blanc grapes grown on the estate, which also happens to be in the Marlborough region. If you are slightly interested in Sauvignons from the land of kiwi, then you probably already have heard about Marlborough. If not, I can assure you it has nothing to do with cigarettes, though there might be a rough-looking cowboy atop a horse in the vineyards.

That should be enough table talke to introduce the wine to friends at your next wine and cheese property, right? On with the tasting notes.

The nose is wide open and expressive, with vibrant aromas of ripe, bright fruit – limey citrus and gooseberry in particular. The palate is similarly expressive, with a big dose of ripe lime upfront. Acidity is mild to medium. Finish is rather quick, but pleasant. Enjoy it alone, or better yet, have it with appetizers, simply prepared fish, scallops, a Greek salad, vegetarian cuisine. This is a typical representation of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and a fair value at around twelve bucks.

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Fleur Pinot Noir 2006 - Carneros

Ever since “Sideways” came out, everyone and their brother became a Pinot Noir snob, and the wine suppliers reacted by flooding the market with all kinds of swill labeled with that classic French varietal. Four years after the movie, wine shops can’t keep enough Pinot Noir stocked on the shelves — from all areas of the world and at all price points. Some of it is good, much of it mediocre, and too many are awful. The problem is that you can’t force production of the wine anywhere you want, anytime you want — Pinot Noir is a fragile grape, easily affected by temperature changes and representative of the quality of its soil. The reason it wasn’t a big deal in the mass market before is because of its fragility — it’s difficult to make good-quality Pinot Noir, period, never mind trying it year in and year out.

If you’ve ever had REAL Pinot Noir — the stuff that costs a minimum of $40 per bottle and has all kinds of French words that 95% of the population can’t comprehend — then you know that most of the affordable wines labeled “Pinot Noir” from outside Burgundy are, well, pretenders. But that’s not to say you can’t find a decent drinker.

For a while, I turned my nose up at these pretenders, then realized how dumb it was of me to do so. It was a matter of managing expectations; previously, when the label said “Pinot Noir”, I was expecting sheer bliss in a bottle. Now, I look at the price tag — if it’s under 25 bucks, I’m just hoping the wine is drinkable, and judge it as a “red wine”, rather than against the glories of Burgundy.

As it turns out, there are valid quaffers and good table wines labeled as Pinot Noir in my cheapskate price range, and I’m constantly on the lookout for well-made bargains. I found one recently from the Fleur winery in Carneros, California — for about $13.

Tasting Notes: Fleur Pinot Noir 2006 Carneros

Bright, open nose of fresh sweet strawberry, red cherry, maraschino, red raspberry and a distinct floral character – hence the name “Fleur”. In the mouth you get upfront, forward fruit: ripe strawberry, red cherries, red raspberry, and cranberry. Acidity is mild to medium, tannins are mild. This wine drinks similarly to a soft Beaujolais Cru (Fleurie?), and is enjoyable on its own though better with food. Have it with roast chicken, pork chops, turkey, vegetarian cuisine. A good value.

a-8 t-8 b-7 fc-9 v-8 ~ 90 Points

Fleur de California winery website

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Merryvale Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Vineyards Vineyard X Oakville

Now we’re getting into the serious Cabernet Sauvignons.

Merryvale is one of my favorite California wineries, based on its consistently good quality, well-valued Starmont line. Because their “entry level” bottlings are enjoyable, it would stand to reason that their high-end wines would be even better. Merryvale’s Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer Vineyards “Vineyard X” Oakville proves the point.

It’s called “Beckstoffer” because the grapes come from Andy Beckstoffer’s vineyards on the “Oakville Bench” in Napa Valley — this collaboration has been going on since 1992, and this particular wine has only been made five times. Only 1500 cases were made, with the grapes coming from three different “blocks” of vineyard (these are parts of a vineyard that have been specifically identified and cared for, for one reason or another; in short, it means the vines are of high quality, in a fantastic location, and old). After fermentation, the wine spent 18 months in French oak barrels (66% of them new) and was bottled unfiltered.

The nose has typical Cabernet aromas – black fruits, leather, earth, tar, black pepper – as well as a good dose of black licorice and some spice. In the mouth it is full, fruit-forward, and borderline jammy. Flavors are complex and delicious, showing black raspberry, black currant, cassis, blueberry, boysenberry, earth, coffee, tar, tobacco, pepper, and slight twinges of spice and a vegetal component. Texture is smooth, almost creamy. Acidity is at a good level for food and a fine foil for the big fruit. Tannins are ripe, and of medium intensity. This wine was a bit softer than I expected; I was expecting a huge, bold, tannic monster. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to find this very drinkable, and immensely enjoyable. A tasty, polished, classy wine that is best enjoyed with a cheese plate, steaks, beef roasts, beef stew – anything with beef, in fact. At around 75 bucks, this ain’t cheap … but if you can afford it, it’s worth the dough.

a-9 t-10 b-9 fc-8 v-7 ~ 93 Points

Winery: Merryvale

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Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon 2003

As mentioned in the last post, I’ve been on a Cabernet binge.

Mount Veeder is both a winery and an appellation — it is an official AVA within Napa Valley, consisting of about 25 square miles along a steep mountainside in the Mayacamas Mountains. The area is rich with volcanic soil and tends to produce powerful, long-lived wines.

Mount Veeder, the estate and winery, has been around since the 1960s, and released its first bottling in 1973. Owners Michael and Arlene Bernstein were the first vintners in Napa Valley to successfully grow all five traditional Bordeaux grapes (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot) on one property.

The nose is slightly closed, but still giving good aromas of black fruits, eucalyptus, and some earth. On the palate, the wine is surprisingly open upfront, giving a mildly jammy black raspberry flavor. From there, though, this wine gets very serious, as a mad rush of complex flavors, good acidity, and ripe, firm tannins enter the picture. Wild berry fruit, black fruits, some tar, leather, tobacco, earth, and a touch of spice fight for attention in your mouth, and linger through a long, pleasing finish. A lot of attitude here, and gobs of concentrated fruit. Tannins are fairly aggressive, begging for protein. Match it with ribeye steak, strong cheeses.

a-8 t-10 b-9 fc-7 v-7 ~ 91 Points

Winery: Mount Veeder

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Stonestreet Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley 2004

I’m on a Cabernet binge lately, so there will be a run of reviews on the grape coming your way.

Initially, there was almost nothing on the nose – it was closed up. After letting it sit in the glass for about an hour and a half, some aromas started to eek out. Blackcurrant, black raspberry, menthol / eucalyptus, some earth. On the palate it is glassy smooth in texture, with ample black fruit and earth flavors. Tannins are medium high, acidity is medium. There is a lot going on here, too much to analyze now. It’s a young wine that at minimum needs a few hours of decanting before drinking now, but a better plan is to leave it in the cellar for a few years. A big, bold wine that reminds one of a cru Bourgeois Bordeaux, definitely Bordeaux in style with many layers hiding right now. Cellar it, and try again in 3-4 years. A good value for a wine of this complexity.

Addendum: this wine passed the “next night” test … in fact, I corked it up and drank it again five days later and it still held its character.

a-8 t-9 b-8 fc-7 v-8 ~ 90 Points

Winery: Stonestreet

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Argiano NC (Non Confiditur) 2004

For those of you who wasted away your childhood watching Saturday morning cartoons such as Fat Albert and the Cosby Kids may remember “NC” being the abbreviation for “no class” — which the character Russell invariably used to insult Rudy.

However, this wine has plenty of class, and in fact the “NC” stands for “Non Confunditur”, a latin term which the Argiano family uses as their motto. Unfortunately, I have no idea what the term means because instead of taking latin as a kid I wasted away my time watching cartoons. Anyway …

This is a Tuscan blend of 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 20% Sangiovese, and 20% Syrah – all from vineyards in the Montalcino district. It’s an IGT, and could be considered a “baby Super Tuscan”. All those great grapes put together, spending a full year in oak barrels, and then another four months in bottle before release, and yet it still retails for under twenty bucks. Amazing.

The nose is deep, rich with aromas of leather saddle, black fruit, tobacco, earth, tar, peppermint, and something else green or herbal — eucalyptus? Sage? Bay leaf? I’m not sure, I really need to get better at this. The palate has similar flavors, dominated by sweet black cassis fruit, sweet tobacco, a touch of anise and red licorice, and some mocha / chocolate hints. Acidity is low, tannins are medium and firm. The texture is very smooth. There’s a bit of hotness that appears momentarily but fades away by the finish, which has good fruit (black raspberry, cassis, black licorice, tar, tobacco) and is fairly well balanced. The acidity isn’t high enough to match with tomato sauce, so try it instead with hard and soft cheeses, grilled meats, lamb chops.

This is a wine that drinks like a big boy, but not priced like one. A good value.

a-8 t-8 b-8 fc-7 v-8 ~ 89 Points

Importer: Vias

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Masi Costasera Amarone 2001

Amarone is a big, fairly expensive, red wine from Italy that matches with a fairly small variety of foods. Although, if braised beef cheeks, lamb steaks, venison stew, or similarly gamey dishes are frequent in your home, you may disagree. Since I almost always drink wine with food as a rule, and I have neither the time nor the stomach to braise beef cheeks, Amarone has a hard time breaking into my routine.

Still, there are times when Amarone is perfect — most often, in my case, as an after-dinner drinker with a chunk of cheese (aged Parmegiano-Reggiano is a good choice). And once a bottle is started, it’s hard not to finish; Amarone can be a stunning, intriguing, highly complex, and seductive wine to contemplate over.

Tasting Notes: Masi Amarone “Costasera”

Nose is still a bit closed, but deep down are some aromas of bitter earth, tobacco, distinctly herbal spices (sage, thyme, bay leaf, maybe the slightest hint of rosemary), ash, and some black fruits – licorice, prune, cassis. On the palate the texture is smooth, the flavors are sweet prune, cassis, black licorice, mulberry, black raspberry. Tannins are ripe and surprisingly tame for Amarone, but still bigger than most red wines; I’d call the level medium to medium high. Acidity is medium. Another surprise is the alcohol, which is lower than expected. The finish could be longer, but is in better balance than similar wines. Flavors in the finish include blackberry, herbs, tobacco, and tar. Do not make the mistake of pouring this wine directly from bottle to glass – it needs to breathe, and it needs some time. Pour it into a decanter, then pour it again into another decanter, and let it sit for at least 10-15 minutes before tasting — otherwise it may seem harsh instead of polished, and you’ll likely miss out on the complexity and subtle nuances that make this wine special. It will probably be a nice match for lamb, gamey dishes, roast pork loin, or a hunk of hard cheese. A fine, polished wine to open up next to the fire on a cold winter night.

a-8 t-8 b-9 fc-7 v-9 ~ 91 Points

Importer: Remy USA

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Franciscan Oakville Chardonnay Cuvee Sauvage 2005

Generally speaking, I’m against the majority of California Chardonnay on the market — but not against ALL California Chards.

What bugs me is the proliferation of formulaic, oak-driven “soda-pop” Chards that taste more like Sugar Smacks than fermented grapes. The bulk of these disasters in a bottle are in the under $20 segment, but there are also a number of higher-priced Chardonnays that are flawed by too much wood.

The problems of over-oaked are 1. the wood overpowers the fruit, so you don’t taste the Chardonnay; and 2. oak doesn’t match very well with most foods. However, that doesn’t mean oak is always bad — it merely needs to be used judiciously. The key is the fruit; if the grapes produce a very rich, ripe flavor, then it can stand up to a good dose of oak and create a harmonious, delicious sipper.

One such example of a California Chardonnay with a wonderful balance of fruit and oak is Franciscan Oakville Chardonnay Cuvee Sauvage.

Tasting Notes: Cuvee Sauvage

Wide open, delicious smelling aroma of ripe pear, peach, banana, spicy oak, vanilla, and a hint of warm apple pie. In the mouth it has a silky, creamy, buttery texture, carrying lots of succulent ripe pear, baked apple, vanilla, honey, and oak. The oak actually runs a touch bitter, giving off some tannins, in the finish. Acidity is mild to nearly medium. On the fat and oaky side, but surprisingly not overwhelming and also not too hot in the finish. It’s almost on the sweet side, making it more of a fireplace wine than something you’d match successfully with a bevy of foods. However, it will match adequately with roasted rosemary chicken, dishes drenched with garlic, and maybe hot and spicy cuisine, where the sweetness acts as a foil against the heat. Long, elegant finish. A rich, delicious, and succulent wine to enjoy by the fire.

a-10 t-10 b-7 fc-7 v-7 ~ 91 Points

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Whether you’re ringing in the New Year at midnight or enjoying a New Year’s Day meal, an excellent choice for either celebration is non-vintage Champagne.

Champagne because it’s “the real thing” (don’t tell Coca-Cola), and non-vintage because it is an outstanding value. Generally speaking, a “NV” sparkler is going to be significantly less expensive than a vintage-dated Champagne, but will be comparable in quality. That’s because Champagne producers strive to create a consistent bottling with their non-vintage — for most, it is representative of the “house style”, and serves as an introduction to their more expensive vintage bubblies. Chances are, if you like the non-vintage bottling from a particular Champagne house, you’ll also enjoy their vintages.

But which to choose? Hard to say, because there are so many different styles and everyone’s palate is unique. My suggestion is to try as many as you can until you find one you really like — and then try a few more! After all, what’s bad about tasting Champagne? Luckily, many NV Champagnes come in half-bottles or “splits”, so you don’t have to shell out big bucks to buy and try several different sparklers.

To get you started, I blind-tasted three non-vintage Champagnes that are found nearly everywhere. I didn’t love all three, but that doesn’t mean you won’t — again, everyone is different. Hopefully you’ll get something out of my brief notes to guide you toward or away from a particular bottle. (The numbers are not rankings, but rather how they were tagged when I tasted them blind.)

#1 Pommery Brut Royal NV

Lightest in color – pale straw. Nose is toasty, with mild apple and pear. On the palate it has good mousse, very ethereal – light, mild flavor of citrus, apple and a touch of mineral. Acidity is low at first, becoming more pronounced in the finish. Finish has some mild tart green apple and is pleasant, with decent length.

Tasted alone (without food), I liked this one the best out of the three. Though the acidity began low, it increased toward the finish, which helps it with food matching. Enjoy it to ring in the New Year, as an aperitif, or with light appetizers.

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#2 Bollinger Special Cuvee NV

James Bond prefers the vintage-dated Champagnes of Bollinger, but I can’t afford them. This NV is the aged the longest among the three in this tasting — for three years.

Darkest in color, a golden straw.
Nose is more exuberant, somewhat advanced and mature. Ripe apple, pear, caramel, some toast.
Lots of foamy mousse on the palate. Good weight in the mouth. Flavor is ripe pear, a hint of lime citrus and mineral. Acidity is medium. Finishes with some bitter fruit.

By itself, I wasn’t particularly fond of this Champagne. However, it was somewhat better when matched with food — I had it with mildly sauced chicken and Chinese vegetables. This makes sense, as the acidity level lends itself to the dinner table.

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#3 Veuve Clicquot Brut NV

This is the famous “yellow label” that is prevalent in nearly every wine shop.

Second darkest in color, a golden straw.
Nose has distinctive but ethereal ripe pear, hint of white peach.
Palate has good mousse. Fairly light in flavor – touch of pear. Almost reminds me of a lager beer. Acidity is medium. Finish is somewhat bitter, with a touch of lemon rind.

Not my favorite, but not terrible, either. I may want to taste this one again, as the particular bottle could have been off in some way. I expected to get more pronounced aromas and flavors.

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Bonus Tasting: Pommery Brut Royal “Apanage”

The Pommery Brut Royal mentioned above is aged for two years. Pommery also makes this “Apanage”, which is also a non-vintage but is aged for three years. I didn’t taste this one blind because I ran out of Champagne flutes (they break easily … my original set of five is down to three … oops, make that two, as another one broke after the tasting!).

Dark golden straw color. Nice foamy mousse. Mild nose of pear, butterscotch. Full flavor of ripe pear, apple, a touch of citrus and mineral. Acidity is low, getting toward medium in the finish, which is mostly tart red apple.

The Apanage is a few dollars more than the “regular” Brut Royal, but if you prefer a more complex, fuller-flavored Champagne, then it’s worth every penny. Similar to the “regular” Brut Royal in that the acidity starts out nearly nonexistent, then builds as you get toward the finish. It’s ideal as a companion to food — try it alone and with first courses.

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Domaine Ste. Michelle Blanc de Noirs (NV)

New Year’s is coming … which means it’s time to start reviewing some celebratory sparklers.

First up is an American-made bubbly that is easy on the wallet and has universal appeal: Domaine Ste. Michelle Blanc de Noirs non-vintage, which retails for about ten bucks or less.

Color is a pale orange — more like cooked salmon than pink. Soft, fruity nose of citrus and a hint of raspberry. Pretty good mousse, with persistent medium-sized bubbles. In the mouth it is mostly dry, with maybe a touch of sweetness that is due more to a fun and fruity ripeness than dosage. Finishes completely dry, with a good dose of acidity, which helps with structure and food matching.

This runs about $9-12 for a bottle, and at that price it is a steal. Domaine Ste. Michelle is under the Chateau Ste. Michelle umbrella, which is one of the most respected wineries in Oregon.

a-7 t-7 b-7 fc-8 v-10 ~ 89 Points

Domaine Ste. Michelle website

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It’s Christmas Eve and you still haven’t bought a gift for someone you’ll see today or tomorrow. Well that’s a problem, isn’t it? You can either try your luck at the mall or run into a wine shop and pick up a bottle. But what to get?

If you know what the person likes to drink, then it should be easy — assuming you can find that wine in the store. But what if you don’t?

Here’s an idea — buy a wine that the person likely wouldn’t buy for himself or herself, but might enjoy. Re-read that last part of the sentence; you don’t want to get a Napa Cab for someone you usually prefers to drink a light Pinot Grigio.

What you buy depends on what you want to spend — and whether you want the other person to know how much you spent. For example, if you buy a very well-known brand such as Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio, your recipient will know that you spent about thirty bucks. Or if you buy a bottle of Opus One, the giftee knows you pulled out a Benjamin. Personally, I think buying a well-known brand is akin to leaving the price tag on a gift — but the choice is yours.

Instead, choose a wine variety or region that you know your recipient enjoys (i.e., Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chianti, Rioja, etc.) but get something a little off-the-wall, from a different region, and / or in a higher price range from what your friend normally would drink. For example, if your friend is a big fan of California Pinot Noir, get a bottle of French Pinot Noir. Or if he/she usually drinks a specific brand of Chianti Classico, choose one from a different winery in the same or higher price range. Gifting is all about getting something that the recipient normally wouldn’t buy for himself / herself — and you may introduce the person to a new favorite wine.

But what if you have absolutely no idea what kind of wine your giftee drinks? Take the easy way out — buy a bottle of bubbly. If you are willing to spend the ducats, get “real” Champagne from France — there are wonderful non-vintage examples in the $25-30 range from respected houses such as Pommery, Moet et Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Nicolas Feuillatte, and others (one of my favorites is Heidsieck Monopole “Blue Top”, if you’re buying for me). Nearly everyone who drinks wine appreciates a bottle of good Champagne — and even if they don’t, they’ll have something to bring with them to the New Year’s bash next week.

Now if you have absolutely no idea what wine to get, and know for sure the person won’t appreciate Champagne (I suppose it’s possible?), then the next-best gift would be either a really fancy corkscrew — such as by Laguiole — or a set of high-quality lead crystal wine glasses (such as made by Riedel). With these high-ticket items, you generally will get what you pay for, and nearly every good wine shop will carry them. When it comes to the glasses, you might even consider getting one very expensive hand-blown glass — something like this Riedel Sommeliers Series Bordeaux Grand Cru. No doubt your wine geek will be thrilled with such a gift — how many people will spend upward of $75 for a wine glass? — and guard it safely in the china closet.

Last but not least, if you don’t want to go to ANY store, I have one last-minute idea — a gift certificate to Restaurant.com. All you do is visit the site, buy the gift certificate, and print it out. Since most wine geeks are also “foodies”, treating him or her to a dinner at a fine restaurant is just as good, if not better, than a bottle of wine. Follow the link below for a crazy deal — THREE BUCKS for a $25 gift certificate. You read that right. Merry Christmas:

70% off sale at Restaurant.com. Purchase $25 Gift Certificates for only $3.00 with coupon code GIFTS!

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These gifts were big hits with some wine geeks last year, so I’m presenting them again …

(click on images to learn more or buy)

This 7-item Accessory Gift Set ($55) has just about everything a wannabe snob could wish for, all encased in a fancy wood box. It includes a “patented” one-hand cork screw, thermometer, stainless steel stopper, foil cutter, wine ring, pourer, and bottle cap. Good for someone who often entertains wine drinkers and has one of those wine bar thingys in the home.

The MetroKane Houdini Wine and Stuff

($40) set’s centerpiece item is the Houdini corkscrew, which is a variation on the Leverpull and Rabbit cork removers. It also has a foilcutter, drip-stop ring, wine sealer, identification tags, metal whacker, and extra spiral screw. All nice pieces for the wine geek in your life.

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Domaine de Gournier Merlot 2005

Ever since reading the novel Sideways(and watching the movie), I’ve been obsessed with finding quality Merlot wines — so forgive me if I post too many reviews on them.

This one comes from France, from the southwestern part of the country (officially, “South West”) — a region that is often overlooked by the wine snobs because of its history as an area of high-volume production. However, there are many, many, tiny producers strewn throughout the South West, from places such as Languedoc-Roussillon, Costieres de Nimes, and Provence — which is where Domaine de Gournier is situated.

Luckily, there is an American importer by the name of Bobby Kacher who knows this area pretty well, and brings in some high quality bottles at more than fair prices. This Merlot is no exception.

Tasting Notes: Domaine de Gournier Merlot

A bright, ripe, open red wine. On the nose is black fruit, tar, tobacco, earth, and black pepper. . Luscious and jammy upfront, spilling over with black and red raspberries. Smooth as glass texture, almost creamy, carrying the ripe fruit into a well balanced finish of mild acidity, medium tannins, and plenty of berries and spice. Match it with burgers, chili, sloppy joes, tacos, and cheesy dishes. A full, fruit-forward, classy wine that over-delivers on its price. At about nine bucks or less, it is a great value.

a-8 t-8 b-10 fc-8 v-10 ~ 94 Points

Importer: Robert Kacher Selections

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Not sure what to get for the foodie in your life? The easy answer is a gift certificate to a fancy restaurant, of course. But how do you know if the recipient will appreciate a specific restaurant of your choosing? There’s an answer for that too — get a gift certificate from someone like Restaurant.com, where the giftee can redeem the gift at any of several thousand restaurants.

Now, I’ve got one better for you — a gift certificate worth $25 that costs YOU only $5. How’s that for a bargain?

The catch (there’s always a catch) is that you MUST use the link below and use it between now and December 13th. It’s a limited-time offer for WineWeekly visitors, so take advantage while you can. In addition, anything you buy at Restaurant.com through that link will be 50% off. Too good to be true? Maybe, but it seemed too good for me not to share. Enjoy!

50% off sale for 3 days only, December 10th-13th! Use code STOCKING at check out.

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Umberto Fiore Barbera d’Alba 2004

If you’ve been reading this blog for a while then you know I’m a sucker for a good Barbera — especially when I find one around fifteen bucks or under. This particular example fits the bill, being right in the $13-15 range and offering strong compatibility with a number of foods.

Tasting Notes: Umberto Fiore Barbera

Bright, wide open nose of ripe black cherry, black and red raspberry, along with sweet ripe earth, tobacco, vanilla spice and pepper. Smooth, glassy texture in the mouth carries ripe raspberry, black cherry, and sweet earthy notes. Acidity is medium, and ample for food matching. Tannins are mild to medium, offering good structure. Well balanced for a food wine, fruit lingers in the finish. A bright, happy, juicy, and enjoyable wine to drink with pasta in marinara, sausage and peppers, meatball / veal / eggplant chicken parm, or a hunk of parm-reggiano cheese.

a-8 t-8 b-9 fc-9 v-8 ~ 92 Points

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Vasco Sassetti Rosso di Montalcino 2003

Imported by Saranty Imports – from Total Wine and More

From Montalcino comes the huge, ageworthy, and expensive wines known as Brunello. Montalcino is a very hot growing area south of the Chianti region in Italy, with the main grape being a strain of Sangiovese — though down there they may call it Sangiovese Grosso or Prugnolo. For those who can’t afford — or can’t wait — for Brunello, luckily there is a somewhat lighter and less-expensive wine called “Rosso di Montalcino”. Usually the “Rosso” is made from grapes deemed not worthy enough for Brunello production, but still fine for making quality wine.

The big name in Montalcino is Sassetti, as the estranged brothers Livio and Angelo seem in a fierce competition to create the best Brunello in the region. I’d never heard of Vasco Sassetti, but figured that name matched with wine from Montalcino had to be decent. Turns out my instincts were correct.

Tasting Notes: Vasco Sassetti Rosso di Montalcino

The nose is wide open, beginning to mature, with rich ripe aromas of black cherry, earth, tar, black pepper, black raspberry, some eucalyptus and a hint of tobacco. In the mouth it is equally complex and interesting, with flavors of ripe raspberry, black cherry, tobacco, tar, earth, and a touch of spice. Acidity is drying and appropriately creeping toward sharp, and tannins are medium. A perfect match for a hunk of parmigiano reggiano cheese, and also nice to drink with sausage pizza, mac and cheese, grilled skirt steak, tripe, sweetbreads, and most any dish dominated by protein and cheese.

a-8 t-8 b-7 fc-9 v-8 ~ 90 Points

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It’s that time of year again … time to find gifts for the wine geek in your life (or for yourself!). Let’s start out with some interesting wine gifts for wine service. In our first installment, I offer you two different devices to monitor the temperature of wine bottles. (By the way, you can click on the link or picture to buy the item directly from Amazon … and help pay the server bills for this website in the process — so you’ll be giving two gifts at once!)

Wine Clip Thermomenter
$15 or less

More than half of the wine bottles you pick up have a “recommended serving temperature” stated on the back label. But does anyone notice? Does anyone care? Even if you did, how would you go about finding out the exact temperature of the wine in your bottle? I suppose you could try sticking a meat thermometer into the bottle, but that would require uncorking, and few of those read below 100 degrees anyway. The cheapo trick is to stick an aquarium thermometer on the side, but that isn’t so “cool”.

Enter the Wine Clip Thermometer, which does look cool (or “qool”, as my friend Tish would say), and works quite well. You simply clasp the thing around the middle of the bottle and it gives you a digital readout of the temperature.

Wine Maestro — Bonjour products ($20 and under)

If the bangle isn’t high-tech enough for your wine geek gadget guy/girl, then maybe the Wine Maestro is. I haven’t tested it out myself, but it sure looks formidable.

And if you want to get really insane, go infra-red. (over $40)

VinTemp Infrared Wine Thermometer
This handy little pen-like device comes with its own carrying case and has real James Bond appeal. Plus, it’s better than the other devices, because the infrared light is able to detect the temperature of the wine INSIDE the bottle, WITHOUT removing the cork. And for some people, that’s really important. I have visions of geeks walking around wine tastings pointing their infrared pens and informing vendors that their bottles are too cold / too warm. Lovely. (BTW, I have this myself and love it.)

Oh, and to go one further, you can get the VinTemp thermometer built into a corkscrew. Now THAT is efficiency — one device to both check the temperature and open the bottle when it reaches the optimum chill. It’s not cheap — about $60 — but remember, holiday gift-giving is about a.) buying things that the recipient likely wouldn’t buy for herself / himself; b) giving something unique; and c) giving something close to the recipient’s heart. And if your giftee is passionate about wine, then this item is a no-brainer.

Keep checking back over the next few weeks, as I’ll be posting more interesting and unusual gifts that will be especially appreciated by the wine geek in your life.

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Icardi Barbera d’Asti 2004

Importer: Vinifera

One of my favorite red wines for food is Barbera — specifically from Italy, and usually from the areas of Asiti, Alba, or Monferrato in Piedmont / Piemonte. The tricky thing about Barbera, though, is the wide range of styles and price points. On the one end of the spectrum, there are Barberas that cost upward of $40-50+ that require cellaring; on the lower end, you have ideal pizza partners for around ten bucks — and all types in between.

My very general rule of thumb is to look for a Barbera in the $10-$17 range for everyday drinking with simple Italian fare. Once in a while I’ll find a remarkable value under ten bucks, and there are rare occasions that my alligator arm reaches down for a thirty-dollar bottle.

In this case, I was able to purchase a very food-friendly Barbera for right in my “safe zone” — about $14.

Tasting Notes - Icardi Barbera

More like a Chianti than a Barbera, with dry cherry aromas and flavors and a good dose of mouthwatering acidity. Nose of ripe black cherry, cola, and hints of earth. Flavors were similar — black cherry, cranberry, raspberry, mild tobacco, and tar. Acidity is high, in line with the ample fruit and ideal for food matching. Tannins are mild to medium. Finishes fairly quickly, but with good balance and harmony. Drink this with red-sauce pasta dishes, lean meats, sausage, pizza, sloppy joes.

a-7 t-7 b-7 fc-9 v-8 ~ 88 Points

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Garnacha de Fuego 2006

Importer: Tempranillo Imports (Jorge Ordonez Selection)

Grenache of fire! I guess that means it’s pretty darn hot in Catalayud, Spain, where the vines of this grape grow. Garnacha / Grenache is a hot weather whore of a grape, much like Syrah and Zinfandel.

Luckily, this wine outperforms the old Renault Fuego (with or without the biturbo, it makes no difference).

For the uninitiated, Garnacha is the same grape known as Grenache in France, California, and many other areas of the world. In fact, Grenache / Garnacha is one of the most widely planted grapes in the world, though it’s most commonly associated with the hot, arid regions in the south of France, the southern Rhone Valley and throughout Spain. If you’re unfamiliar with the Garnacha of Spain, it may be helpful to know that Grenache is usually one of the base grapes of Cotes-du-Rhone and Chateauneuf-du-Pape (often, these wines also have Syrah, Cinsault, Mourvedre, and other grapes blended in as well).

But enough of the French version; this wine es de Espana, and does a fair job of representing the Catalayud region. Though “DO Catalayud” (”DO” is pronounced “dee - oh” and is short for Denomination of Origin) is fairly new to US consumers, in fact they’ve been making wine there for oh, about 2000 years. The region sits in the province of Zaragoza, toward the western boundary of Spain and sort of in the middle (between north and south). It should not be confused with Cataluna, which is another DO entirely and is covers several provinces. OK, enough with the boring details, let’s taste the wine …

Tasting Notes - Garnacha de Fuego

On the nose, this wine shows ripe black fruits: black raspberry and prune, with a touch of eucalyptus, pepper, and a smidgeon of earth. The palate offers a silky smooth texture, warm black raspberry, black cherry, and plum, with a touch of spice – maybe vanilla? Acidity and tannins are medium, appropriate for food but not so high that they’re overbearing when this wine is drunk by itself. Drink it with burgers, skirt steaks, cheese, tacos. At around eight bucks or less, this is a very good value. Yet another winner from perhaps the best importer without a decent website, Jorge Ordonez.

a-8 t-8 b-7 fc-7 v-9 ~ 89 Points

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Every once in a blue moon (the cheesey-looking thing in the sky, not the beer), I’m asked to do a review of a website in return for cash — what is called a “sponsored review” — via the ReviewMe! service. Whenever I am paid to do such a review, I make it clear upfront (as I’m doing right now). Please note that I never have, and never will, accept money to review a wine — so don’t bother asking. That said, the server fees need to be paid every month, so reviewing a website related to wine/food/spirits is, in my mind, a decent way to help pay the bills while retaining my integrity. (BTW I would love to hear your opinion — do you think it’s OK to do these sponsored reviews of websites or no?)

So, the website under review is called Buy Absinthe and it is place where, as you might guess, you can purchase absinthe, variations on absinthe, and absinthe accessories.

As soon as you visit the site, you can see right away that it was most likely put together by someone whose first language is French — in fact the top of the site is in French, and you have to scroll down a bit to get to the English text. The left sidebar offers images of absinthe products, each with a link underneath exclaiming “Buy it now!” … you can probably guess that those links lead you to an order page.

If you scroll down far enough, though, there are a few fairly useful links for those who want to learn more about absinthe. Specifically, there are three links for education: one, a thorough FAQ covering common questions (What does absinthe taste like? Is Thujone dangerous? etc.); second, a link to a page with a brief history of absinthe; and third, a simple explanation with image instructing you on the traditional way to serve absinthe. There is also a link to absinthe “accessories” (who knew?) for items such as spoons, glasses, and a “traditional absinthe fountain” (it’s not cheap).

The copywriting on all these pages leaves a bit to be desired — the wording was obviously translated and there are numerous grammatical and spelling errors. However, if you can get past that, and you are interested in absinthe, it’s a decent if general resource on the spirit.

In addition, there is a Buy Absinthe Blog. Again, the translation of the posts could be better.

As mentioned earlier, the focus of the site and the blog is to get you to buy absinthe, and you can do so easily by clicking on the following link: Buy absinthe here. However, I did not order anything from this site, so I cannot comment on the company’s shipping practices, the quality of their products, nor their customer service. Personally, when it comes to digestifs with mysterious backgrounds and hallucinogenic tendencies, my choice is Chartreuse.

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Out of your turkey coma yet? Before you go fighting for a parking space at the local mall, why not do your shopping from the comfort of your home, while enjoying a cold turkey sandwich and a glass of wine?

Nearly everyone is into wine these days, so you can start your online shopping right here in the WineWeekly Store. I just added a “wine storage” section, which includes an ultra-cool (pardon the pun) digital wine cooler. This is a must-have for the wine geek in your life, and/or for the wine lover who “has everything”. It’s a two-bottle wine cooler / warmer that gets each bottle to the exact recommended temperature for consumption — white wines, red wines, sparkling, and rose.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be adding more interesting gifts for the wine geek in your life, so check back periodically. (And if YOU see something neat, let me know.) Now, go browse the store!

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Easton Zinfandel Amador County 2006

I’m looking for wines for Thanksgiving, so I’m looking for American. There’s no grape more American than Zinfandel, and it just so happens that Zins can be a decent match for the Thanksgiving meal. The “Easton” label draws my eye because in addition to being a wine geek I’m also a baseball geek, and Easton is the brand name for the most popular aluminum baseball bat. I turn the bottle to read the label and the wine is from Plymouth, California. Plymouth, as in Plymouth Rock (yes, I know the Mayflower stopped at the Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts … work with me here). Do I even need to move on to the tasting notes? It’s already a pickup for Thanksgiving, for nothing more than a conversation piece.

As it turns out, the wine is fabulous with the turkey and most of the trimmings. Though it has open, forward flavors on the palate, it’s not over the top but rather on the soft side, at least as far as Zinfandels go. The nose tempts with bright raspberry, blackberry, plum, and earthy aromas, with a touch of tar. In the mouth you get flavors of ripe blackberry, black raspberry, black cherry, blueberry, a spicy component, and hints of earth, tobacco, black pepper. The finish is only a touch hot with tar and ripe tannins dominating. The texture is smooth – almost creamy – the acidity is medium-low to medium, the tannins are a bit under medium. The wine works with the dark meat, and is just soft enough to compliment the white meat as long as you pour on the chestnut gravy and/or take a bite of stuffing with it. It surprisingly did not spoil the taste in my mouth after chowing down brussel sprouts – which is pretty impressive. Overall it is a fine choice for the Thanksgiving table. At $15.99, it’s a fair value.

a-7 t-8 b-8 fc-8 v-8 ~ 89 Points

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Domaine de La Bastide Roussanne 2006

Importer: Weygandt-Metzler

OK, this is from France, so it doesn’t fit the American themed Thansgiving. But it’s a great wine for matching with everything on the table, and it’s different!

Tasting Notes

Nose is clean, pure ripe peach and some pear, with a spicy vanilla element. On the palate it is silky smooth, almost honeylike, with flavors of pear, peach, citrus, a bit of vanilla spice and a slight hint of mineral. Acidity is low. Citrus becomes more apparent in the finish, which is easygoing. This is a nice wine as an aperitif, and a good match for lean meats, veggies, and possibly as a counter to hot and spicy dishes. The low acidity won’t get in the way of lean turkey, and it will mesh well with most of the assorted dishes you might find on the Thanksgiving table.

a-8 t-8 b-8 fc-9 v-8 ~ 91 Points

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Vinum Cellars Clarksburg Chenin Blanc CNW 2005

The “CNW” on the label stands for “Chard No Way” … hmm, what’s the winery trying to tell us?

Here is an ideal “out of the box” idea for the Thanksgiving table — a Chenin Blanc! And Vinum is winery in Clarksburg, California, so it fits in with the American theme of the holiday.

Tasting Notes

Bright, open nose of fresh ripe white peach, pear, melon