Ok, so my first thought was “This thing is a bit over the top.” Now mind you, I’m going to drink it even if it is corked! It wasn’t corked. In fact the cork looked like it could go another 40 years or so.
But the wine is probably just past its peak. Of course, Jim picked this up at a smokin’ $20 at Smith’s, and I’d guess that they messed up. :o) They probably didn’t store it at a proper 55 degrees F. either, so I’m not worried about opening now.
I just picked up a Capriotti’s Cheesesteak with grilled onions and hot peppers. I checked my cellar. I had an Amarone and a Sangiovese. They would have worked, but a Cabernet Sauvignon is probably much better. I had a GSM sitting on the bottom shelf, but this one caught my eye.
It is freaking awesome !!!
I didn’t let it sit after I opened the bottle. The appearance is appropriate for its age. Very dark purple with no clear ring around the glass. Aromas are slightly sweet dark cherry, The flavor has very RIPE black fruit,which is also very ripe. But it is amazing none-the-less. The very worst thing that I can say about this wine is that I just poured my last glass, and once it is gone, there will be no more. It is so sad in a way.
Forgive me while I grieve just a little. OK, enough of that. There are other great wines in this world, and I will fully enjoy the last glass of this one.
August 28th, 2009
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I was looking for something to go with macaroni and cheese, and I’ve pretty much drank all of the stuff in my cellar that cost less than $35. I pulled out this bottle and realized that I never tried it before. As soon as I pulled the cork, I realized that it could sit in the cellar for many years to come as the wine had not edged its way up the cork one bit.
It has a nice dark ruby-red color. Not as dark as their Scion, but intense in color. the aroma, which hit my nose as soon as the cork was removed has lots of red raspberry, cherry, and a light floral aroma. I can also smell just a touch of leather or cedar.
A very interesting taste curve. It starts out very mellow and smooth, but it intensifies towards the middle and finish. It starts with the leather and then the raspberry flavor kicks in, and the finish seems to get hotter and hotter finishing with a nice pepper.
Robert Young Estate Winery produced only 20 barrels of this wine. It may be tough to find, but it’s worth tasting if you can find some.
July 19th, 2009
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Picked this one up at our local Costco for about $20. Color is deep purple and the nose is rich in red fruits (blackberry and plum) with maybe a hint of leather. I got cherry, plum, and vanilla on the palate along with a touch of pepper. Finish was moderate; the cherry still there with the hints of leather and spice.
The tasting notes state this one received a 94 from James Halliday and an 87 from Wine Spectator. I think I tend to go along with WS; it’s decent but not outstanding.
May 26th, 2009
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Jim |
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Charles Krug was my first favorite winery. I was in the area with my sister and her husband. They wanted to go wine tasting. I went along for the ride. My wine experiences up to that point were not so pleasant – mostly drinking Mad Dog 20-20 while in college. Charles Krug got me hooked and it the rest is history.
Saw this Cab at Costco and it brought back good memories so I bought it. Today I was making some beef stew and needed something to cook with. I added half to the pot and half to me!
Very nice dark cherry aroma with just a touch of toasted oak. At first, I thought there was a hint of leather, but I lost that somewhere. The bottle says that there should be current and roasted coffee with clove and licorice, but I don’t get any of those.
Very smooth taste curve, lots of dark fruit, even more toasted oak, and the leather that I couldn’t smell is easy to taste. I still don’t get any coffee, or licorice, but there is just a hint of cloves.
This is a pleasant wine. I’ll pick up some more and I would recommend it for people just moving to red wines.
about $20 at Costco
April 3rd, 2009
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Dave |
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I cannot believe I haven’t posted this one yet; I am on my third or fourth bottle and have two left. The vintage is from a small winery in the Sierra Foothills, if you are familiar with the Colfax and Grass Valley areas of California. You will notice a few Sierra Foothills wines (Solune, Nevada City, and Indian Springs) posted below.
The 2005 Barbera from Solune is luscious & rich, with intense cherry/raspberry/plum notes, low tannin and a velvety lingering finish. This wine pairs well with grilled meats (just had it with a tasty sirloin and baked sweet potato) or even stands well on its own. Sadly, this vintage is sold out (Solune is one of many small wineries in the area and their productions are low) but the 2006 was recently released — will post that one when the bottle is opened.
March 18th, 2009
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Jim |
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This newest edition of Nevada City’s Rough & Ready Red (Casks 204 and 205 are posted below) is predominantly Merlot with, in decreasing percentages, Zin, Cab, Petite Sirah, Syrah, and Sangiovese. The characteristics are that of plum, cherry, spice, and red licorice, with a hint of oak. The tannins are soft and alcholol is at 14.5%. All in all quite acceptable for pizza and pasta although the Cask 205 remains my favorite of the three.
If you find yourself in the Sierra Foothills of California (Nevada City, Grass Valley, Colfax) just east of Sacramento off I-80, spend some time in the area and you will be quite surprised by the number and variety of wineries — check out http://www.nswinecountry.com/. Offerings from a few of those are posted below; more will be added as the bottles are opened. A Votre Sante.
February 23rd, 2009
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Jim |
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A blend of 63% Cabernet Sauvignon and 37% Syrah from Paso Robles.
This one was recommended to me because I mentioned that I liked the Herman Story wines. In fact, this one reminds me a lot of about wines from Herman Story. Very dark in color, very ripe, but retaining the aromas and flavors of dark fruit. There is less pepper in this one, but over all a very nice effort.
Their website: http://vinesonthemarycrest.com/ has a link to a video which is worth watching if you have a few minutes.
The posted notes for Satin Doll mention herbs and oak which I can’t seem to find, but the finish is long and smooth.
I’m going to say that my favorite wines from Paso Robles are from Garretson Wine Company and Linne Calodo but this one is right up there.
June 8th, 2008
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Actually labeled as Directors’ Reserve Contour, this is a Bordeaux blend consisting of 76% Cab, 7% each of Merlot, Cab Franc, and Malbec, and 3% Petit Verdot. With an alcohol level at 14.2% and a price point of $25 at the winery, a quite acceptable offering.
The color is a deep black raspberry with legs that go on and on. The nose is full of black fruit, clove-cinnamon, and a touch of leather. Black raspberry and black cherry are evident on the palate along with vanilla, clove, and (again) a touch of leather. Smooth tannins combined with vanilla and coffee linger on a lengthy finish. Enjoy….
May 6th, 2008
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Jim |
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Venturing into yet another corner of Nevada County and the Sierra Foothills, I came across Indian Springs Vineyards. Again, another small producer with unknown (to me) distribution depth. Discovered them on a recent visit to Nevada City, California where they have a tasting room; their winery is a few miles to the west in Penn Valley.
I found this offering to be quite acceptable, showing many of the typical characteristics. The color leans toward a dusky strawberry; I remember reading somewhere that Barbera does brown slightly with age and this is an ‘03. Strawberry, cherry, and currant come thru on the nose and continues to the palate with an additional touch of toast. The medium tannin finish brings lingering plum and slight smokiness. The alcohol is at 14.5% and the price point at the tasting room was $19.
April 23rd, 2008
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Jim |
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Tucked away in the Sierra Foothills between Colfax and Grass Valley California you will discover a real gem, Solune Wine Growers (http://www.solunewinery.com/). There is truth behind the cliche “good things come from small packages”.
If you are a fan of those monster Cabs from Napa, save a few dollars and stop by Solune while this one is still available (going fast, small volume). At $21 this one is worth much more. The color is deep raspberry; the nose bursting with black currant, leather, earth, and a touch of mint. The palate is a wonderful collection of black fruits, leather, slight oak, and the bell pepper common to classic Cab. The finish is long with mild tannins, vanilla, leather, and smoke. As Jacques says, “A votre sante` !”
April 9th, 2008
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Yet another post for a nice product from this winery in the Sierra Foothills. Their Zin is a blend of 84% Zinfandel, 10% Petite Sirah, 4% Syrah, and 2% Mourvedre. The color is deep blackberry with legs that go on and on (14.7% alcohol). The nose is blackberry, raspberry, black pepper, and a touch of clove. All that continues on to the palate with some medium heat. The finish is medium and decent. Not my most favorite Zin, but for the price point ($16 or so) it is worth a try.
April 7th, 2008
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Actually 97% Temp and 3% Sangiovese, this one was awarded Double Gold and Best of Class at the 2008 New World International Wine Competition. Quite a feather in the cap of this small winery in the Sierra Foothills with limited distribution. The price point is around $19; I picked up a few on a recent visit to their tasting room.
The nose exudes black cherry and tobacco. The dark fruit and tobacco continue on the palate with the addition of leather and earthiness. The finish is medium with the tobacco lasting thru to the end. As with most Temps, this pairs well with meats off the BBQ yet even works well on its own.
April 2nd, 2008
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In the order tasted, we had a 2004 and 2005 Robert Young Chardonnay, then a 2003, 2002, and a 2001 Robert Young Scion. The 2002 and 2003 are Cabernet Sauvignon and the 2001 is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc, and 9% Merlot. All of the wines are from Alexander Valley.
We didn’t think to rate the Chardonnays but the 2003 and 2001 Scions were the favorites with the 2003 taking first place by one vote over the 2001 and the 2002 getting only one first-place vote.
Here were some of the comments from tasting notes on the three Scions:
2003 – Appearance: Clear, medium-dark color, nice legs. Aroma: Dark cherry, touch of leather, tomato, pepper. Taste: Nice leather, dark fruit, tomato, salty, dry, earthy, chocolate. Aftertaste: Smooth finish, heat, balanced. Overall impression: Good, okay, nice.
2002 – Appearance: Darker than 2003, “Tina Turner” (nice legs). Aroma: Ripe dark fruit, touch of leather, vegetive, smoke, no aroma. Taste: Ripe dark cherry, leather, slightly sweet, no tannins, less flavorful and dry (than the 2003). Aftertaste: Smokey, short finish. Overall impression: Very nice, smooth.
2001 – Appearance: Starting to show age. Aroma: Dark cherry, dark berries. Taste: Nice dark cherry, leather, touch of cedar, spicy humidor, some vinegar. Aftertaste: Beautiful finish with nice pepper. Overall impression: Most balanced good with chocolate.
March 29th, 2008
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Where the Cask 204 (posted below) is predominantly Zin, this one is 41% Syrah, 31% Zin, 10% Petite Sirah, 10% Cab Franc, 5% Cab, and 3% Sangiovese. The 205 had a production of 966 cases and stands at 14.5% alcohol. I found this one at the local Trader Joe’s for $10.
The descriptors on this one are similar to the 204, but I got a bit of coffee on the palate and finish. Overall I liked this one a bit more than the 204. Not a great one, but good with pizza and pasta or simply relaxing with a touch of dark chocolate. For the price, it is well worth a return visit but I wouldn’t cellar for an extended time frame. Enjoy….
March 12th, 2008
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My second venture into regional wines from the Sierras, this Sierra Foothills Syrah proved to be quite nice. Blackberry, dark chocolate, and a touch of smoke on the nose leads to a more intense blackberry palate with hints of leather and spice. The smoky notes continue in the finish where the chocolate lingers for awhile with a touch of heat.
The 2004s seem to be getting short in supply with the 2005s soon to hit the store shelves in our area. Nevada City is just a couple hours away, so a visit to the winery and tasting room may be in our near future. I am eager to try more of their offerings; their Tempranillo sounds promising. Stay tuned…
March 8th, 2008
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Jim |
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If you check out October 2006, you will see that Dave posted notes on the 2004 Rockpile. The 2005 can be summarized in much the same way. Deep raspberry in color; black cherry, vanilla, and mocha on the nose, cherry, blackberry, dark chocolate, with a bit of spice and leather on the palate, and the dark fruit and leather on the finish. Dave’s comments then still hold true with this one… a very good Zin but about $10 over priced (I paid $35 for this one).
February 17th, 2008
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Jim |
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A recent transplant to Northern Nevada, I decided to try something from a regional winery. Nevada City is just a ways “over the hill” from here so their wines are plentiful in our area. This one is a blend of 40% Zin, 22% Petite Syrah, 15% Syrah, 10% Cab, 8% Sangiovese, and 5% Cab Franc. The wine is named after one of the early gold towns of the 1850s. Cask 204 appears to be their way of saying 2004. With a lot of 1860 cases, this wine tops at 14.7%.
The color is a deep plum with a slightly clear rim - it is a 2004 afterall. The nose is vibrant with plum, cherry, and clove. On the palate the cherry and plum grow, the spice is joined with a bit of pepper with a hint of red licorice. The finish is nice and spicy with soft tannins.
My first venture into regional wines and I would have to say this one is a winner. At only $12 this one begs for repeat purchase. There is also a Cask 205 (you guessed it, 2005) with a different blend that sounds promising; haven’t located that one yet. When I got this one, I also picked up a Syrah of theirs so stand by for a future post on that one.
February 11th, 2008
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A few friends, some great food and some great Pinots. I’ve been down on Pinots lately. I think that is because I haven’t had any that I cared for. All of these were good and food friendly.
February 10th, 2008
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Dave |
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Very dark color with lots of black cherry and a touch of vanilla aromas. A nice mixture of black cherry and smoky leather. This wine has a very smooth finish.
I wish that I had some more of this one.
February 3rd, 2008
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Dave |
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The oldest family owned vineyard in Australia comes thru again. This wine is one of their Hand Picked series and is a winner. A blend of 60% Mourvedre, 22% Grenache, and 18% Shiraz, this Rhone from “Down Under” deserves your attention.
The color is a rich, deep purple. The nose exudes white pepper, black cherry, and a hint of herbs and spice. Dark fruit, leather, creamy milk chocolate, and a hint of coffee combine on the palate. The finish is long with more leather, fruit, and spice.
This definitely deserves repeat purchase. Although quite enjoyable now, 3-5 years in the cellar are not out of the question. Enjoy….
January 31st, 2008
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Jim |
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