Tasting Dry Creek Valley Red Blends

It's that time again, where I recap another fun virtual tasting. This time it was with McCue Communications presenting the wines of the Dry Creek Valley. Once again it was a small group of bloggers participating, along with the winemakers from each of the three wineries. The wineries were a veritable who's who of Dry Creek producers, with histories stretching back through the decades.

The Dry Creek Valley AVA in Sonoma County, established in 1983, grows a wide variety of grapes. Grapes have been grown there since the late 1800's though, so the region is no stranger to high quality wines.

Chief among them are zinfandel and cabernet sauvignon. That said, a lot of wine geeks these days are interested in the Rhone varietals grown throughout the Valley. Syrah, cinsault, grenache, and mourvedre dominate the Rhone grapes, supported by carignan, petit sirah, marsanne, roussanne, and viognier.

Luckily, with over 50 wineries throughout the AVA, finding great wine is very easy. The three producers represented here all have rich histories and represent the authenticity that is so often lacking in other parts of California.

2006 Teldeschi Estate Reserve Terraluna Dry Creek Valley: Dark and smoky at first, lots of black plum, blackberry, oak and peppery spices. As it opens up, more tart red berry fruit comes out to balance that riper dark fruited element. I love the density on the palate, it's at once concentrated with red fruit and pepper yet retains a sense of lightness and excellent acidity. There's just a "pretty" quality to the wine that I absolutely loved. Carignane 40%, Valdigue 36%, Petite Sirah 24% 13.9% abv. Recommended.

2012 Amista "Tres" Dry Creek Valley: Opens with mild reduction that needs a few moments to blow off. That gives way to smoky/savory notes of jerky, red cherry, garrigue, and a fennel note on the end. Cool and grippy on the palate, this continues with the smoky/savory theme, buttressed by tart cherry and raspberry, oak, and hints of orange rind. With air, menthol and some barnyard starts to show up, but they're still subtle compared to the exuberant fruit. On the finish there's a dusty soil-plus mocha element that serves to clean up the palate. 34% Grenache, 33% Syrah, 33% Mourvèdre. 14.9% abv. Recommended.

2010 Frick Cotes du Dry Creek Dry Creek Valley: A dead ringer for Southern Rhone on the nose, with the grenache component going full speed ahead. It's all about bright cherries and strawberries, wild herbs, subtle oak, and dusty minerality. Cherry licorice comes through with some swirling. The aromas are so compelling that I actually held off tasting for a bit. Once I did, the firm tannins were a welcome foil to the bright, concentrated fruit. Again it echoes the southern Rhone Valley to me, because it's so fresh and pure. A tannic, drying finish cleans everything up, readying you for the next sip or bite. Syrah 40%, Grenache 40%, Cinsault 20%. 15.3% abv. Highly recommended.


At the end of this tasting I was struck by the high quality of each wine tasted. They expressed a very nice sense of place as well as their respective vintages. Each vintner was passionate about what they grow and produce, which left me feeling a connection to the wines as I tasted through them.

To buy any of these, visit the winery websites or better yet, the wineries themselves!

Teldeschi Winery Website
Amista Winery Website
Frick Winery Website

Thanks to McCue Communications for inviting me along and thanks to the winemakers for taking time to sit down and answer our questions.

These wines were samples received for this tasting.

Beau Carufel

Childress Vineyards: Chardonnay from North Carolina!

Have you ever had Chardonnay from North Carolina? I have not, nor have I tasted any wine from that state, ever. Not a state known for wine growing or production, North Carolina is home to over 100 wineries and is actually ninth overall in the United States as far as production. Quite a surprise, no? Here's a link to some interesting facts on North Carolina wine.

Whenever I think of North Carolina, I think of Nascar and the Appalachian Mountains. Coincidentally, Childress Vineyards is owned by Nascar legend Richard Childress! The grapes for this are in the Yadkin Valley AVA, and the winery is located in Lexington. My friend Alina attended the 2011 Wine Bloggers Conference in Charlottesville, Virginia, where she came into possession of this bottle. She was kind enough to gift it to us earlier this year and it's lain in my cellar since then. Given the hot, muggy weather we're having, a cold glass of wine seemed in order.

2010 Childress Vineyards Chardonnay North Carolina:
Pours a beautiful straw-yellow color. On the nose I immediately get ripe tropical fruit, lees, and a touch of oak. With some swirling and time out of the fridge, a bit of buttercream and something like bacon fat become apparent. The first sips bring out a smooth, soft apple and pear thing along with more creamy notes. I like that there is still some acidity present, as it helps lighten the ripeness and richer flavors. Tropical notes come later, along with some barrel spices on the finish. My only gripe on this wine is that the finish is a bit bitter, reflecting perhaps too much pressure in the grape press. It spent nine months in French Oak barrels and that shows in a good way, with just a bit of woodsy flavor throughout. 12.8% abv. $14.99 SRP.

On the Childress Vineyards website, this is listed at $14.99, though that's for the 2011 vintage. This 2010 was similarly priced and represents a fantastic QPR. I wish more similarly priced Chilean and Californian chardonnays were this easy to drink.

Suggested food pairings include fettuccine alfredo, shellfish, roasted chicken, and cheese plates.

Childress Vineyards on Facebook

Thank to Alina for generously gifting us the bottle!

Beau Carufel

Trione Winery Selections

Yet more wines I was sent a long time ago and am finally now getting around to reviewing. This review will be interesting though, because the Trione Vineyards wines I was sent all came in 50ml bottles. The company tastingroom.com bottled them way back in September 2012 and I am just now getting to taste each one. In total, I was sent six 50ml bottles, each of which is barely good enough for two pours.

Trione is another California winery with an excellent reputation. Their wines were a familiar sight in San Diego and I liked selling them because you always knew that they'd deliver at their price points. It's been nearly a decade though, so I was anxious to taste through the lineup and see if the wines were as I recalled.

As you read through the notes, please bear in mind that these are probably (hopefully) not the current releases from Trione, it's my fault for not getting to them sooner.

2010 Trione Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley
The nose shows tart gooseberry and green grass right away, very fresh. Behind that lurk some lime juice and herbaceous qualities. As it opened in my glass, I picked up a flinty minerality that was quite cool. On the palate I can tell that this is softened a little bit by age but it's still got ripping acidity and a linear minerality that I thoroughly enjoy. The fruit seems to be mostly in the background, with touches of grapefruit and papaya showing through. More bracing acidity cleans up the finish beautifully, readying your palate for the next bite. Surprisingly fresh and vibrant, this stuff is almost Muscadet-like. Color me impressed. 14.0% abv. Recommended.

2008 Trione Chardonnay Russian River Valley
It's rare that I get to taste California chardonnay with this much age on it. This one stays traditional, with lots of butter and oak rushing out of the glass. They aren't necessarily overpowering as much as dominating. With some air, I picked up aromas of golden apple, quince, and baking spices. A sip brought plenty of buttercream but a nice hit of acid too. There's enough apple and pear playing around with the vanilla oak and butter to make a really, really nice chardonnay. Acidity dries out the finish in a good way, making me think this needs some grilled sea bass or chicken kabobs. 14.3% abv.

2008 Trione Pinot Noir Russian River Valley
Again, it's rare to taste a RRV pinot with 6+ years of age, so I was looking forward to this one. Initially it's showing age, with notes of dried leather, furniture varnish, red cherry, and old wood. Still, it doesn't smell bad! There's still some acidity on the palate, barely holding together cherries, apple skin, baking spice and white pepper. Still-alive tannin is nicely integrated and I think this would pair well with more delicate meat, salmon and pork. It's not quite my cup of tea but still a really fun wine to taste. 14.2% abv.

2007 Trione Red Wine Alexander Valley
Shows a touch advanced, like it's just settling into some tertiary flavors. Similar to the pinot noir, this has a dusty, leathery element that is pretty interesting. Green herb, cassis, and cocoa powder come through with some swirling. Plenty of barrel spices too, maybe more than necessary. Sipping brings ample black fruit, good acid, and good tannin integration. Mostly cabernet, with merlot, petit verdot, and malbec thrown in. This looks, smells, and acts like a Bordeaux blend that's impeccably crafted. The balance between those advanced aromas and flavors versus the fresher blueberry, boysenberry, and red currant is excellent. If you see a 750ml of this, grab it. 14.5% abv. Highly Recommended.

2007 Trione Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley
Fresher than the red blend, this is still showing plenty of primary fruit. Loads of sweet black cherry and blackcurrant framed by what smells like both French and American oak. That freshness carries over onto the palate too, with more cherries, firm tannin, and plenty of oak. Unfortunately it also gets really hot and sloppy, with perceptible alcohol through the mid-palate and finish. I don't think this is nearly as good as the above red blend. 14.5% abv.

2008 Trione Syrah Russian River Valley
This remained tight despite being open for almost two hours and getting vigorously swirled in my glass. I did manage to tease out notes of black tea, plum, and blackberry preserve. There's a bit of VA present too, which I found distracting. Also, like the cabernet, some alcoholic heat on the nose. On the palate this tastes young-ish, like a wine that is nearly in middle age. That and like it has a bit of brettanomyces. I picked up a distinct medicinal component on the mid-palate and the finish was hollow on the tongue, a big time indicator for brett. Behind the bretty, medicinal note lurked some firm tannins, dusty minerality, and muted fruit. Kind of a bummer because I was really looking forward to tasting this wine. 14.8% abv.

With these wines we batted .500, the sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, and red blend all being worthy of consideration. The other three, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, and syrah, had issues which I just can't overlook. Still, Trione clearly makes some very, very good wines and you should feel confident in purchasing (full size!) bottles of the wines I liked. Each promises to be good with food and have the ability to put on a bit of age to boot. I was pleased to find that I still enjoyed Trione after almost a decade of not tasting any of their releases.

The kit from tastingroom.com is really, really cool and gave me just enough wine to do a reasonably proper evaluation. They even include helpful information on how soon to drink the wines and how long they'll (most likely) remain fresh. I think more wineries that send out samples to bloggers might want to look into either this or bottle 375ml's for us, since it wastes far less wine.

These wines were samples for review purposes.

Beau Carufel

24 Knots Pinot Noir from Monterey County

Yes, just a single wine in this blog entry. I was sent this sample bottle from 24 Knots winery out of Greenfield, California.

The story behind the name goes like this: During the summer, winds come off of Monterey Bay and down the Salinas Valley at speeds of up to 24 knots. At that speed, they provide an essential cooling effect for the vines, allowing acids to stay higher while the sun still helps ripen the grapes. From what I understand, all the grapes come from Viento Vineyard, which of course is in Monterey County.

Ok, this is not going to be a long blog. One wine to taste and the desire to keep my notes concise and readable.

On opening this pinot has a funky aroma, so I tried to give it some time to blow off. While I don't think it did entirely blow off, after an hour I was able to smell things other than funk. I like the raspberry/strawberry scent, and it had an interesting pine thing going on too, along with typically-pinot aromas of baking spice. I think if the funky sulfurous aroma hadn't lain atop everything else like a wet beach towel, this could have been a really fun wine.

So I tried closing the screwcap and giving it the Dirty Sommelier, aka "shaking the ever living s&#@ out of the bottle", for about 30 seconds.

In an attempt to re-approach the wine, I retrieved a new, clean wine glass and poured another few ounces. Drat! The same thing! This time I went in for a taste, to see just how much the funk obscured. Ripe berries, wood smoke, peppery spices, and funk. It permeated everything and was nigh on impossible to ignore.

If the 24 Knots Pinot Noir didn't have the funk, it would be a damn good bottle of wine. It's pretty inexpensive too, something like $15 a bottle. So in conclusion, if you like your pinot noir on the funky side, I think you'll dig this. If you prefer clean, bright berry fruit, maybe pass on this one. I tend to prefer the latter, so I can't recommend this to you.

Of note, the winery sent two bottles and I tasted the second bottle about two months later, it exhibited basically the same characteristics. Both bottles were tasted over the course of about three days.

These wines were media samples for review purposes.

Beau Carufel

Jacob's Creek Cabernet, Shiraz, and Pinot Noir

A quickie. I was sent some samples of Jacob's Creek wines to taste earlier this year and finally got around to opening during our hot summer here in Oregon. Without too much fluff, here are the tasting notes and my impressions on each of the three wines I was sent.

2010 Jacob's Creek Reserve Pinot Noir Adelaide Hills: I wasn't a big fan of this one, but some might enjoy it. Smells a bit like eucalyptus mixed with cherry cough drops. Some dusty earth manifests too, but it's definitely muted. The pinot character clearly shines through in this, with bright cherries and cranberries, mixing with herbaceous flavors. As the evening progressed, I re-tasted this several more times and it seemed to just fall apart. The cough syrup notes take over and it becomes disjointed on the palate. Pinot Noir is  hard to do on the cheap though. Buyer beware. 13.6% abv. $10 nationally.

2010 Jacob's Creek Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Coonawarra: Smells dusty, dry, like the Outback. Notes of jalapeño pepper, green herb, dusty trail, and some red fruit. Drying on the palate, and rather soft for a young cabernet. Tart red fruits tend to dominate, but they're somewhat simple. I think this needs a cheeseburger to truly shine. After tasting this several more times through the evening, I concluded that it's a wine on the cusp of being tasty and fun, but it just doesn't get there. At the price point, you can find better.  13.9% abv. $10 nationally.

2010 Jacob's Creek Reserve Shiraz Barossa: Smokey, Barossa-y, spicy shiraz. I like this, especially for the price. It's got a really solid balance between ripe fruit - think plums and black cherry - and drying, astringent tannin. Definitely a wine to have with big foods like barbecued ribs. Easy to find nationally, well made, and very much a wine to drink year-round. Recommended. 14.1% abv. $10 nationally.







If you bat .300 or greater during a baseball career, you're pretty much guaranteed a Hall of Fame selection. Jacob's Creek did just that with these three wines. The shiraz is clearly the superior wine of the bunch and worth your consideration. I can't put my recommendation on the other two though, because while they may be inexpensive and easy to find, they're simply not wines I want you to drink.

These wines were samples for review purposes.

Beau Carufel

Austria's Answer To Summer: Gruner Veltliner

Austria is another country known for cool, refreshing whites. From Gruner Veltliner to Riesling, the whites are renowned for bracing acidity, fresh flavors, and food-friendly natures. That first sentence alone should tell you I'm pretty excited about the country and wines they produce.

I was sent two samples from producer Laurenz V, both Gruner Veltiners, both under screwcap. The test was to see how these wines stacked up compared to other awesome summer whites from Alsace and Vinho Verde.

Let's quickly trace the history of this producer. Laurenz V (pronounced Laurenz Five) stands for five generations of the Laurenz Moser wine family. As of now, there are sixteen generations of history from this producer, according to my press materials. WOW. Also of note is the fact that Laurenz V. only produces Gruner Veltliner.

2010 Laurenz V. Charming Gruner Veltliner Kamptal: Gorgeous nose of orchard fruit, limestone, and lemon juice. Jazzy acid across the palate with flavors of citrus and stone fruit exploding all over the place. Very complex and layered, with minerality coming through across the finish, drying everything out and readying your palate for the next sip. Highly recommended. $29.99 SRP. 13.0% abv.

2011 Laurenz und Sophie Singing Gruner Veltliner: Smokey flint and citrus open, with a ripe, sweet pear/apple aroma taking over. Similarly fruity and friendly on the palate, with ample ripeness yet less acidity than the Charming. This is perhaps less complex but in terms of sheer enjoyment and hedonistic goodness, maybe a better wine. Highly recommended. $15.99 SRP. 12.0% abv.







Hard to deny that these are two outstanding wines. The layers and complexity of the Charming bottling are impressive and surprising to me. On the other hand, the Singing is so fun and inviting, it may need the Charming name! I was impressed with the quality of these wines, and while $29.99 isn't cheap, a quick wine-searcher.com query showed prices between $17.99 and $25.99.

Go Austria!! A worthy challenge to Alsace and Vinho Verde, and further proof that cool, crisp whites are the perfect summer wines.

Thanks to Folio for sending the samples!

Beau Carufel

Pueblo Del Sol Tannat

This is another producer whose wines I've reviewed before. Last time I had the Pueblo del Sol was a few years ago and it was just the tannat, this time I have the rosé as well to taste. Also, last time I tasted it head to head versus an inexpensive California Cabernet in my Barbecue Showdown blog. This time it was tucked into a flight of mixed reds and whites and tasted multiple times over the course of several hours.

Pueblo del Sol is produced by Juanico winery of Uruguay. Down there, tannat is king! Here in the United States we don't have a lot of exposure to the grape, which has origins in southern France's Madiran region. Some people in California make one, as do a few in Oregon.

2011 Pueblo del Sol Tannat Rosé: Red cherry, albeit subtle, is the first thing I thought of. Bear in mind I don't have a lot of experience with Uruguayan tannat, especially in rosé form. Also, notes of melon. On the palate it's a bit sweet and a bit tart, nicely balanced. Be sure to serve this very cold so as to highlight the acidity though. By the way, it pairs well with a mozzarella, pesto, tomato, prosciutto, salami panini. Just saying. Recommended. $10 SRP. 13.% abv.





2010 Pueblo del Sol Tannat: Pours a dark, dark purple in the glass. Smells like purple fruit, think plums and cocoa dust. Nice minerally thing, like crushed up gravel. Juicy as all hell on the palate, with ripe plum and blackberry, tar, and well-integrated wood flavors. This is a delightful, fun, unique wine that should be enjoyed with food. I'd love one of those Argentine steaks and a big glass of Pueblo del Sol Tannat. $11 SRP. 12.5% abv. Highly Recommended.






These two wines qualify as QPR winners, and I'd suggest buying several bottles of each to have throughout the summer. They're versatile, food-friendly, and very wallet-friendly.

Thanks to the fine folks at TasteVino Selections for sending me more tannat samples! It's always fun to step away from the traditional grapes and explore something more unique.

These wines were media samples.

Beau Carufel

Paul Dolan Vineyards Cabernet and Sauvignon Blanc

I've written about Paul Dolan Vineyards many times over the course of my blogging career. The wines are almost always excellent values while tasting freakin delicious! Certainly you could do a lot worse at their modest price points.

I confess though, that these wines have sat in the sample rack for damn near one year. It's my own fault so I feel bad. A big apology to Fineman PR for not getting to these sooner!

These wines are from Mendocino County, north of the more well-known Napa and Sonoma areas. Mendocino boasts conditions that are right for several different kinds of grapes, from pinot noir and syrah to sauvignon blanc and pinot grigio. As far as I know, all of their vineyards are either organic or biodynamic, and they even produce certified biodynamic wines. No small feat in this age of fertilizers and chemicals.

2011 Paul Dolan Sauvignon Blanc Potter Valley: I picked up a lot of citrus and melon notes right away, all nicely balanced and in tune with each other. Lively acidity carries the citrus notes across the palate while the summer melon flavor helps give some body. All in all, a clean, simple sauvignon blanc that would pair beautifully with fish and chicken in the summer. $17.99 SRP. 13.5% abv.

2010 Paul Dolan Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Mendocino County: Lots of herbs, soil, wood, and cassis aromas. While this smells young, it also has impressive complexity for a $25 California Cabernet. I like the firm, drying tannin and how it balances the ripe blueberry/blackberry flavors. More of the dusty soil flavors come through too, as well as a bittersweet chocolate thing. Needs time to open up but once it does, I think this will be a QPR winner. $25.99 SRP. 14.5% abv.




I think the Cabernet is my preferred wine of the two, it's showing more complexity and depth, and it's got such a similar flavor profile to the Paul Dolan wines I've tasted in the past. This is one you might want to consider stocking up on, as it will continue to drink well for the next ten years or so.

These wines were samples for review.

Beau Carufel

Selected Chianti Classico Wines

Chianti wines suffer from an image problem here in the United States. The consumer perception of low quality, fueled by an ocean of cheap Chianti in reed-wrapped bottles has hurt sales. Within Chianti the need was recognized to educate consumers in order to change their perception. Millions of bottles of the cheap stuff still make it here, but there's another side to the region, a more serious side. *cue serious music*

Without getting too deep into Italian wine law, it's important to note that there exist several regions within Chianti, and the one we are discussing here, Chianti Classico, is one of the most significant. Within Chianti Classico lie the historical boundaries of the region, as originally laid out in the mid 1800's.

Right now, there are several grape varieties allowed in the production of Chianti (and Classico) wines. Sangiovese is the dominant, as you probably already knew. In fact, it only recently became legal to produce a Chianti with 100% Sangiovese. Since 1996, the blend for Chianti and Chianti Classico has been 75-100% Sangiovese, up to 10% Canaiolo, and up to 20% of any other approved red grape variety such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Syrah. White grapes are currently banned for use in Chianti wines.

Touching on the aging and alcohol regulations for a moment, Chianti Classico must have a minimum alcohol level of at least 12% with a minimum of 7 months aging in oak, while Chianti Classico's labeled Riserva must be aged at least 27 months at the winery, with a minimum alcohol level of at least 12.5%.

Ironically the quality control issue reared its head with regard to the samples of Chianti Classico I received. Out of maybe 9 bottles, two were badly corked, two had serious Brettanomyces contamination, and one smelled of nail polish remover. Those of course did not get reviewed, but it's clear still more work is needed in the cellars.

2008 Volpaia "Coltassala" Chianti Classico: Warm oak tones dominate the nose at first, overshadowing more subtle aromas of red fruit, herbs, and red earth. On the palate, medium acid and soft tannin work nicely with tart red cherry and plum skin, dried herb, and a finish of smokey game meat. The acidity really shows through on the finish too, where it creates a nice drying effect, readying the palate for another bite of food. *Highly Recommended* 13.5% abv. $50.

2008 Riserva di Fizzano Chianti Classico Riserva: The nose has a lot less oak than the preceding wine, but replaces that with a dominant confection/cherry and dry leather thing. Some VA is present too, but it's not distracting and adds a rustic air to the palette of aromas. Flavors of red soil, tart cranberry, dried herbs and spices, and oak barrel all meld together to create a pleasingly complex, dry Chianti. This has a lot of structure and is just a baby, but has also some great potential. 14.5% abv. $30. *Recommended*




2010 Felsina "Berardenga" Chianti Classico: Oak and soft black cherry notes jumped out at me right away. I also picked up red Jolly Rancher and pepper notes. This, just by the smell, seemed like a very young wine. It's dry and soft on the palate, with plenty of tannin that partially obscures tart red fruit, peppery spice, cinnamon, and soil flavors. I suspect this is a wine to either decant now or just wait a few years on. Great acidity should hold everything together for several more years. 13.5% abv. $18.

2008 La Porta di Vertine Chianti Classico Riserva: Shows some brett in the form of smoked meat and band-aid, also some dark fruit - think black cherry and plum. Out of the four I opened, this had the most black fruit compared to the redder orientation of the previous wines. It's also got some considerable oak influence from the mocha notes I picked out too. Nice drying tannin but a curious lack of acidity left me somewhat confused. There isn't much on the palate beyond bitter grape stem and more mocha notes. Somewhat disappointing. 14.5% abv. $50.





The above wines are not cheap, save for the Felsina, which is very reasonably priced for the quality. The more I thought about these wines, the more I concluded that they are not QPR winners by any means, but that a couple of them were quite good and the 2008 Volpaia was excellent. Still, as a wine lover and someone who spends a significant portion of his income on wine, I still cannot say I would buy Chianti Classico over a Brunello di Montalcino or Barbaresco. On the other hand, if you are smitten with Italian wines, these could be very reasonable prices to get wines which are, according to the law, higher in quality.

These wines were media samples.

Beau Carufel

2010 Attems Pinot Grigio Venezia Giulia

I think I have had this sample for something like a year. How sad! I should first apologize to the poor PR person who sent it to me. Also, the current vintage is probably 2011, or even 2012.

But what I have is the 2010 Attems Pinot Grigio so that's what we will look at. Pinot Gris in France (and Oregon) is Pinot Grigio in Italy. Some producers in Washington and California call it either one of those, but that's beside the point. Most of the time this grape is kind of boring. It's simple, showing citrus and grassy notes alongside stone fruit. Since so much Pinot Grigio is made in large quantities, finding one that's texturally and intellectually compelling can be difficult.

That is, until you plant it in the right place. I would argue that the Collio region of Italy is one of those places. Collio is tucked in far upper eastern corner of Italy, sitting within the province of Friuli Venezia Giulia . Sitting about 430 feet high on a marl and sandstone ancient seabed, the Pinot Grigio grown there can turn into something different, something almost exciting. Given a touch of oak and no malolactic treatment, the wines take on a sense of depth and complexity that satisfies to no end.




I like this wine. After sitting in the bottle for two years, it's developed a pretty mix of lemon pith, asian pear, and tropical fruit aromas. A faint whiff of sea air begins to show as the wine warms up. About 15 percent of the 2010 vintage sat in new French oak for two months. The rest saw four months in stainless steel tanks followed by one month in the bottle.

Tasting the 2010 Attems reminds me of the richness of an Asian pear and a Golden Delicious apple mixed with the tart acidity of green grapes and limes. The finish is gentle and lingering, ending with a hint of oak. About 12.5% abv keeps it classy.

An Oregon skin-contact gris is in the background.

Pair this with roast chicken, cold pasta salads, even pork-and-citrus dishes. Do not serve too cold either, or it will mask some of the more subtle flavors, like hay and minerally rocks.

Suggested retail of $19, but a real world price closer to $13 puts this closer to quaffing-wine territory. I couldn't find the total production for 2010 but I imagine it's a fair amount, well into the tens of thousands of cases. The United States importer is Folio Fine Wine Partners, so Attems should be easy to find in the marketplace.

This was a sample for review purposes.

Beau Carufel

Australian Riesling from Jacob's Creek and Chateau Tanunda

Riesling isn't the first thing you associate with Australia, to say nothing of wine from Australia. There is a surprising amount grown on that continent though. I had a few samples from some bigger producers sitting around and decided to open them all at once to do a mini exploration of the Barossa region. Three wines isn't enough to form a working knowledge of Aussie riesling but it's still important to pay attention to similarities across each wine.

First, some history. According to historical records, riesling was first planted way back in 1838 in the New South Wales territory. From then until the 90's, it was the most planted white variety. Chardonnay took it's place during that decade. Figures. These days we can find rieslings at almost every price point from Australia, and the grape is finding success in the Eden Valley area, where the cooler climate helps keep that ever-important acidity alive.

One of the themes that carried through each wine was how the citrus elements - lemon and lime - dominated the flavor palette. My experience with German and Pacific Northwest rieslings has mostly held the citrus elements as more integrated, contrasting against stone fruit richness. Not so in Barossa, where these three all showed strong citrus with only the barest hint of stone fruit flavor.

2010 Chateau Tanunda Grand Barossa Riesling: Lemons and limes on the nose, flint, and a bit of white flower. Pleasantly dry on the palate with plenty of acidity that highlights flavors of lemon and lime, stone fruit, and a tiny bit of minerality. While not complex, this is still a fun, refreshing white wine that would pair nicely with lighter fare. 11.5% abv. $11.99 srp.

2011 Jacob's Creek Dry Riesling South Australia: Very simple aromatically. Citrus and hints of stone fruit with not much else. Similarly basic on the palate with bracing acidity. I liked the purity of flavor and the clean finish, which was decently long even. There simply isn't a lot going on here and it shows, but for the price it's certainly of good quality. 11.4% abv. $7.99 srp.

2010 Jacob's Creek Reserve Dry Riesling Barossa: Opens with aromas of petrol, struck match, lemon, and lime. Secondary aromas of white flowers come through after the wine has been open for a bit. I like the mouthfeel, dry but not straining to be austere. Plenty of flavor in the form of stone fruit, lemon, and lime all come through. Out of the three, this is the most complex and pleasing. 12.5% abv. $12.99 srp.







I wasn't sure what to expect with these wines but they pleasantly surprised me. I'd happily drink the Jacob's Creek Reserve because it's so fun and zesty. I admire Jacob's Creek for keeping quality high despite producing a veritable ocean of wine. If you are looking for inexpensive yet reliable riesling that is just slightly off the beaten path, these might be for you. Consider them a good introduction to one of the many facets of the grape.

These wines were media samples for review purposes.

Beau Carufel

Exploring California Pinot Noir

This year, 2013, one of my resolutions was to explore more California Pinot Noir. That's not to say I am unfamiliar with pinot from California, I was afforded many tastes during the nine years I worked in the wine industry there. Most of the "cult" wines graced my glass at one point or another, and I even was on the mailing list for Radio Coteau and Sea Smoke over a period of several years.

As is wont to happen though, my tastes changed (I prefer "evolved"). Right around 2008/2009 I started seeking more pinot noir from Burgundy and Oregon. The typical reasons manifest in my story too; becoming tired with over-ripe and overly alcoholic wines, seeking something new, craving more acidity and red fruit orientation.

Now, with the successive cooler vintages in California, I am anxious to see what is coming from my former home. I hear breathless praise of higher-acid wines with structure and balance coming out of the usual suspects, and the wine forums are buzzing with ever present comparisons to Burgundy and even Oregon. The years 2009, 2010, and 2011 have all gotten praise from various quarters, and after enough of that hype, I decided I wanted to see for myself what was going on. As a blogger, I am enjoying tasting through all these wines, good and bad, and trying to present them to you, reader. Of note to any PR or marketing folks who read this blog, I am continuing to accept California Pinot Noir even as I scale back acceptance of other wines.

Here are some recently tasted examples of pinot noir from California:

2009 La Follette Sangiacomo Vineyard Pinot Noir: Big, brawny nose of tar, smoke, plum/blackberry, and black tea. Some alcoholic heat too. On the palate, very ripe with blackberries and cherries galore, anise, dark chocolate, and sweet plum flesh. Some pepper tickles the edges of the palate, thankfully reducing the abundance of fruit present. The finish is unfortunately a hot mess, literally. Alcoholic heat that stings as it goes down. Unfortunate, because without that, this is a pinot I can see a lot of people really enjoying. Pairs best with big flavors, like steak! $40 SRP. 15.5% abv.

2009 Gary Farrell Russian River Valley Pinot Noir: Muted nose with hints of forest floor, black cherry, and anise notes as a secondary aroma. Some wet-barrel smell came out with swirling. On the palate it's very light-bodied and somewhat bland, the strongest note is the anise. Subtle flavors of dried red currant, cherry, and pleasing minerality do show up eventually though. Nice acidity, keeping the body light and fresh. An easy drinking pinot noir but lacking in character. $32 SRP. 14.2% abv.

2009 Sojourn Pinot Noir Gap's Crown Vineyard Sonoma Coast: Nice red fruit on the nose, with raspberry, strawberry, and spices all balancing each other well. A hint of wood but not bad, as it enhanced the bouquet. There's a juiciness to the bouquet that I found very appealing, as if this wine is bursting with life. On the palate it's definitely young and still sorting itself out. More cherries and strawberries come out, some firm tannin, but a lack of acidity was somewhat disappointing to me. I was hoping for a more textural pinot, this one is smooth and soft, very easy to drink, but a little on the simple side. Still, I have a few more bottles so I'll check in with this again at a later date. $48 SRP.

2009 Sojourn Pinot Noir Russian River Valley: Opens with an intense, raspberry-preserve aroma that carries through to the palate. Hints of pepper try in vain to make themselves known but ultimately get washed out by the raspberry jam. The purity of fruit was itself exceptional, but that was pretty much the only thing going on in this wine. Acidity tarted up the back end but it felt tacked-on, and wasn't at all integrated. No subtlety or nuance here, just pure, hedonistic fruit. $42 SRP.

2010 Siduri Pinot Noir Santa Rita Hills: Shows some reduction on the nose but that blows off, revealing aromas of strawberry licorice, pepper, cherries, and spice. Very smooth on the palate with a fun, interesting savory note to temper the sweet red fruit. Flavors of cherry pie, baking spices, and bright red fruit. The finish is clean and tapers off gently. Overall this is a fun, delicious pinot noir from an excellent producer. $25 srp.

2011 Siduri Pinot Noir Sonoma County: Similarly showing a bit of reduction, which in this case blew off faster than in the Sta. Rita Hills bottling. Beyond that, plenty of deliciously tart red fruit, cherry Jolly Rancher, and a bit of wood. On the palate I found this somewhat plain but not lacking for sheer "yum" factor. Lots of flavors of ripe red fruit - think strawberry and raspberry - which themselves have great acidity. Beyond that though, there isn't much going on. $28 srp.

2011 Siduri Pinot Noir Russian River Valley: Very funky at first, showing cola and stem aromas mixed with black cherry and spices. Plenty of ripe fruit starts things on the palate but those flavors are quickly balanced out by some complex wood and spice notes, and an earthy black peppercorn flavor that I was thoroughly enjoying. Lots of funk shows on the palate too but not in a bad way, it fits into the complex nature of this wine. Delicious stuff for under $25 srp.

2011 Hahn Winery Nicky Hahn Pinot Noir California: Pours a beautifully vibrant ruby color in the glass, a testament to its youth. The nose is full of ripe, jammy cherry preserves, baking spice, some woodsy aromas, and a touch of earth. Cherry jam dominates the palate, providing a soft, rich mouthfeel. The baking spices come out to play a little bit on the finish, which in itself is nice if a bit short. 100% pinot noir, according to the data sheet I have. 14.5% abv. $14 retail.

2010 Garnet Vineyards Pinot Noir Carneros: Loads of raspberry and strawberry aromas followed by a bit of white pepper spices. I think there's a bit of funk here too, some nail-polish remover came out as the wine warmed up. I think this pinot is very varietally correct on the palate, with light red fruit, peppery spice, hints of earthy funk, and lots of acidity. The finish is medium length, tapering off nicely, however, the bottle was open about five hours before the finish got to be any reasonable length. It might need a bit of age or an hour in a decanter before it shows all its facets. 13.5% abv. $19 retail.

2009 High Flyer Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands: Immediately I noticed the alcohol on this wine, which seems to fight with intense red fruit aromas and spice. There's a bit of volatile acidity but to me it adds an interetsing facet. Plenty of spicy red cherry and raspberry on the palate, along with a healthy dose of oak. I liked the finish here, after about four hours, because it was so smooth and gentle. Overall, a solid bottle of pinot noir from a producer I've never tasted. $36 srp.

The Siduri wines were the most complete out of any on this list, which just goes to prove that price doesn't always matter. I will contend though that it does matter to some extent whenever you deal with a grape as finicky as pinot noir. Still, the rest of the wines showed themselves quite well at their price points. Admittedly I struggled a little bit with the Sojourn wines, given their critical acclaim, but I suspect I need to get used to that style and perhaps better understand the regions which they come from.

If the above list is any indication, 2013 will be a fun year for me as I continue to explore California Pinot Noir. Keep checking back through the months as I will keep posting whenever I get a nice sample size of wines to taste.

Many of these wines were samples for review purposes.

Beau Carufel

Wines of Chile: Masterclass

(attribution: http://starchefs.com/cook/features/chilean-wines)

Earlier this year I participated in a fairly extensive tasting of wines from Chile, organized by the Wines of Chile trade group. I've done these virtual tastings before, with mixed results. Chile remains a bit of an enigma to me (and my palate) because often the wines seem insipid, or in other cases, just poorly made, but then I'll taste several that are outstanding. To discount the country entirely would be an error though, because I am often impressed with Chilean sauvignon blanc, syrah, and pinot noir.

This tasting consisted of three sauvignon blancs, three pinot noirs, three carmeneres, and three cabernet sauvignons. The latter two having wines that were also blends in the flight. Pricing ranged from around $13 all the way to $65 for one of Chile's most famous wines, the Los Vascos "Le Dix" Cabernet Sauvignon.

I'm not sure how the wines were selected or by whom, but I know that Master Sommelier Fred Dexheimer was once again our gregarious, energetic host. He's being paid by the Wines of Chile trade group to promote their member wineries throughout the United States. Fred also makes a mean Pisco Sour. Representatives from each winery in the tasting were also on hand (via satellite) to discuss the wines and answer any blogger questions.

Unfortunately I've lagged on finishing this blog post. Still, I'm glad to share with you a tasting of twelve wines, white and red, from all over Chile. Instead of assigning numbers or grades to the wines, look for a simple "recommended" or "not recommended" after each tasting note. To explain, if I recommend a wine here it's because I feel it represents good quality-to-price ratio (QPR), tastes delicious, and is (relatively) flaw-free.

With that, I present twelve wines from across Chile's varied growing regions:

Sauvignon Blanc

1. 2012 Vina Casablanca "Nimbus" Sauvignon Blanc Casablanca Valley: Plenty of grassy notes mixed with citrus come rushing up out of the glass. They persist on the palate too, helped by plenty of crisp acidity. There isn't a lot going on in this wine but what does exist is proportioned quite well. If you need a versatile food white, pick up a bottle and see for yourself, it will pair with most anything. All for only $13. Recommended.

2. 2011 San Pedro 1865 Sauvignon Blanc Leyda Valley: Amping up the aromatics and mouthfeel (as well as the price), this beautiful sipper brings the same green grass note as in the first wine, but it's restrained by more citrus and hints of tropical fruit, considerably brightening up things. Plenty of acidity helps the wine move along across your palate, but it veers into the "bitter wine face" a few too many times. That disjointed nature dooms this sauvignon blanc for me. Not recommended. $19 SRP.

3. 2011 Casa Silva Sauvignon Blanc Colchagua Valley: Things start to get really interesting with this wine, and they should for $25 a bottle. It had some hallmarks of Sancerre, with the mineral and lime notes, but also a beautiful undercurrent of tart pineapple and other tropical flavors. I was impressed with the complexity and kept coming back to it as the night went on. Some of the other bloggers weren't too keen on it, but I felt that Casa Silva nailed the flavor profile for a cool climate sauvignon blanc without going too far into the gooseberry/cat piss side. Highly recommended.

Pinot Noir

4. 2010 Emiliana Novas Pinot Noir Casablanca Valley: My tasting notes refer to lots of fruit on the nose, with red cherry, strawberry, and hints of spice. I like how straightforward and unassuming this pinot noir is, but wish for more complexity. At $19, it's not expensive at all but I could pull a lineup of $20 Oregon pinots out that would blow this pinot out of the water. The finish was a bit short as well, but I liked the sheer "yummy" factor. Simple wine, yet tasty. Still, not recommended.

5. 2009 Cono Sur 20 Barrels Pinot Noir Casablanca Valley: My first bottle was corked so the Wines of Chile folks kindly sent another. This big, 14.5 percent abv pinot has some "interesting" attributes. On the nose there is a bit of alcoholic heat coming through. Also present, aromas of vanilla, earth, and red fruit. Where this gets tasty is after you take a sip. Plenty of tannin (odd, no?) frames bright red fruit, dusty soil, black pepper, and baking spice. The finish is clean and taut, indicating that this is still a baby of a wine. Yes, it's $32 a bottle but it has a lot of potential! Recommended.

6. 2009 Morande Gran Reserva Pinot Noir Casablanca Valley: I couldn't figure this pinot out. Aromatically it was like a red cherry jolly rancher mixed with eucalyptus oil and dried-out pizza box. On the palate there was plenty of acidity to keep things light, but that weird cardboard thing kept showing up. The bright fruit was nice and the herbaceous flavors kept things interesting. The bottle wasn't corked or suffering from brettanomyces, as far as I could tell. Not recommended. $17.99 srp.

Carmenere

7. 2010 Concha y Toro Marques de Casa Concha Carmenere Cachapoal Valley: Weirdly enough, this bottle was also bad, with something happening after it was made and before I received it. Another bottle replaced. On the nose there was oak and buttered popcorn aromas (diacetyl) that overlaid secondary aromas of sliced jalapeno. After sitting for about an hour, the wine calmed down quite a bit. Nicely integrated tannin helped along by some vibrant acidity enfolded flavors of green pepper, dried herb, red berry fruit, and wood. This wine desperately needs food, if you buy it. $22 srp. Recommended.

8. 2010 Carmen Gran Reserva Carmenere Apalta Colchagua Valley: Thin to the point of being delicate on the nose. More of that green aroma and some wood influences, but also notes of plum and cranberry. I can't say this wine was a tour de force of carmenere but I did like how food-friendly it was. Good acidity that brought high toned red fruit and spices along for the ride. A clean, quick finish that readied the palate for another sip, and a very nice price point. Just wish for more interesting flavors! Still, $14 is hard to beat. Recommended.

9. 2009 Koyle Royale Carmenere Colchagua Valley: A blend of carmenere, petite verdot, and malbec. Some bloggers loved it, I felt it was a mess. Too much VA (volatile acidity) to make any sense of what was going on. The people tasting with me felt it was downright unpleasant to drink. $25.99 srp.

Cabernet Sauvignon

10. 2009 Ventisquero Grey Cabernet Sauvignon Maipo Valley: Six percent petite verdot, the rest cabernet sauvignon. Seemed a bit undeveloped and too soft. What I mean by that is there wasn't much in the way of flavor integration, and there was a perceptible lack of tannin. Also, the wine simply didn't bring much complexity to the table. I re-tasted it several hours later and it had not appreciably developed anything interesting. I'm not sure if it was over-oaked or from young vines or what. For $29, there are far better choices to spend your hard earned money on. Not recommended.

11. 2010 Maquis Caberent Sauvignon Colchagua Valley: I tasted this wine several times over the course of the night and felt it opened up beautifully. The nose revealed aromas of cassis, spices, dried herb, tobacco, and oak. The more I swirled, the better all those aromas integrated, creating a wonderful tapestry. On the palate it was equally impressive, with plenty of tannin surrounding flavors of plum and black currant, tar, leather, dried herb, and cocoa. The finish was a bit quick, but I think this is a young wine that will get better with another year or two in bottle. For only $19, it nails the QPR quotient. Recommended.

12. 2009 Los Vascos "Le Dix" Cabernet Sauvignon Colchagua Valley: Don't drink this right now if you go out and buy it. My notes say "lots of potential.......I think". The ingredients are here for a great wine. Lots of tannin, flavors of leather, plum skin, tobacco, and cassis. Sound like a Bordeaux? Lots of stylistic similarities to young Haut-Medoc wines. The only question is whether or not all those flavors will merge with the tannin and acid to form a complex, compelling wine, or continue to stick out in jagged edges and at rough angles to each other. At $65, and with this producer, it's a pretty safe bet that in several more years, things will take a turn for the glorious. Recommended.

There you have it, 12 Chilean reds and whites to consider. It was a great walk through some of the regions and a fun opportunity to taste how the Chilean wine industry is coming along. I think they have a long way to go to become truly "world class" but there are very encouraging signs of progress. For my palate, the most promising wines coming from Chile are still sauvignon blanc, pinot noir, and syrah.

What I'd like to see wineries down there do better is manage volatile acidity, keep their cellars free of brettanomyces, and make better picking decisions to keep the pyrazine levels lower. There is potential too in the Bordeaux-based wines, in part due to the varied growing areas of the country. Right now it seems as if the Chilean winegrowers are finding out which grapes grow the best at which sites. To that I say, keep up the good work!

Thanks to the Wines of Chile trade group and The Thomas Collective PR firm for inviting me to taste along with my fellow bloggers.

These wines were media samples.

Beau Carufel

Vinho Verde, Wine You Should Drink Often

Believe it or not people still ask me for wine recommendations, especially when the seasons change. While that might not make me a "Top 10" wine blogger or some other nonsensical crap, it does make me deeply appreciative of the opportunities I have to sample some unique, outstanding wines...Then turn around and recommend the ones I like to folks who trust my opinion.

(attribution: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Bourrichon)

Vinho Verde. Green wine, in Portuguese. The wine isn't green colored, but green in the sense of being young. Technically it has a tiny amount of bubbles, but not even enough to equal Moscato d'Asti from Italy. Some of the grapes used in vinho verde are Loureiro, Arinto, Trajadura, Avesso, and Azal.

Turning logic somewhat on its head, I recommend drinking vinho verde during the fall months in addition to those hot summer months. You might ask why, and would certainly be correct to do so. The key is acidity, perhaps the singularly most important component in making a wine food-friendly and versatile.

Think about it, around this time of the year we are (well, we in the northern states) having hearty fare, warm fare, food to survive on. We're also having holiday parties!

Holiday parties invariably involve alliteration..wait..no...that was an awful joke. Picture tables full of various finger foods, bodies packed into an overly heated room, and that weird guy taking pictures of his ass on a copy machine. And cake. Ring any bells? Do you really want to be drinking the 22 year old social media interns jungle juice? Is your company cool enough to spring for real Champagne at their parties?

A "no" answer to either question indicates you should try vinho verde at the office parties or other holiday gatherings. Lots of acidity, low alcohol (so you can drink a lot!), and the potential to look reasonably cool and sophisticated make this delightfully quaffable Portuguese sipper worthy of consideration. Oh and it's a massive crowd pleaser too.

Let's talk about some bottles of vinho verde then. Each of these wines is readily available in most major markets. Don't hesitate to email me if you need help finding one.

2010 Trajarinho Vinho Verde: A blend of 60% alvarinho, 40% trajadura. Bright nose of cut grass, flowers, green apple, and hints of apricot. Impressive complexity for such an inexpensive wine. On the palate a slight effervescence reveals more of the apples and flowers, sweet pear, and touches of green. Vibrant acidity creates a nice finish, clean and compact. I would happily pair this with fried foods, Mexican cuisine, or tapas plates. $9.  11.5% abv.

2010 Grinalda Vinho Verde: This was perhaps the most simple of the bunch, with aromas of citrus and sea breeze. It lacked the verve of the above wines, relying almost solely on a bright acidic streak through the center. Tasted later in the day, I suspect that this wine was just a simple, bulk vinho verde. 11.5% abv. $14 SRP.

2011 Cruziero Branco Vinho Verde: This was a very interesting vinho verde for me, as it had this interesting, funky mineral note that struck me right out of the glass. Tertiary aromas of melon and stone fruit complemented a zingy lime juice core. None of that funk was on the palate though, as this wine is all about the acidity. Lots of sweet Meyer lemon and stone fruit go along with a briny, drying finish. Great fun at only 9% abv. $12 SRP

2009 Adamado Vinho Verde: Made by a cooperative, this vinho verde seems all about the minerality and melon. There is also a subtle stone fruit aroma at play. It's softer on the palate than the Cruziero Branco, but equally fun to drink. I was particularly impressed by the clean, drying finish. By being a bit softer, I think this example is a better gateway to the region and wine than the previous two. 10% abv. $8 SRP.

NV Casal Garcia Vinho Verde: Imagine wet gravel on a steel pan. Barely-ripe peaches and sliced limes surround the pan. This gem has a ton of acidity, keeping the palate very clean and focused. During warmer weather, it would be a fantastic sipper, one that you could drink a bottle of and be fine. It's a bit too light (taken in context) for the holiday smorgasbord though. Still, worth seeking out and enjoying on its own. 10.0% abv. $8 SRP.

2011 Quinta de Gomariz QG Loureiro Colheita Seleccionada: Gorgeous notes of summer melon, citrus, sea breeze, and fruit blossom all come out on the nose of this wine. It had the most complex bouquet of all the vinho verdes I tasted. Also, it was perhaps the fizziest (is that a word?) out of the six here. Lots of melon and lime on the palate, ending in a burst of bubbles and acidity. 11.5% abv. $10 SRP.






2009 Casa de Vila Verde Alvarinho Minho: Fresh lemons and ocean breezes waft out of the glass in this wine made in a sub-region of vinho verde. Although there is a bit more alcohol, it helps lend weight to the tropical fruit and lemon flavors that come through on the palate. There is a slight bittering on the finish that distracts from what could be an excellent wine, and I felt that this might be past its peak already. Still, an interesting exercise into a tiny sub-region. 13.5% abv. $11 SRP.






It's not often I get a chance to taste through this many wines from a single region, but taste I did! Some of these wines were still quite good on the second day, retaining that tiny bit of fizz and mouthwatering acidity. It's important that these wines be viewed for what they are, simple, tasty, and accessible. That's why I suggest them for the holidays. When you're cooking for a crowd and don't want to break out the Champagne but still need refreshing relief, why not a cheap, glug-worthy vinho verde?

These wines were samples for review purposes.

Beau Carufel

#CabernetDay 2012, Graffigna, Jacob's Creek, and Owen Roe Come to Dinner

This past August, wine lovers around the world celebrated "Cabernet Day", as if one of the world's most popular grapes needed any more attention. It doesn't, but any excuse to drink cabernet-based wines is welcome. Up here in pinot noir country, I rarely get my hands on cabernet, though I've noticed an increasing thirst (see what I did there?) for cabs (to use wine-geek shorthand) of late. Perhaps my palate is getting burned out on pinot noir?

Rambling aside, Rick Bakas of..well..many things wine and food, started this two years ago to promote cabernet and cabernet-growing regions. Each year has seen the "buzz" grow, as well as more important metrics like the number of participants. I noticed tweets and Facebook posts coming from around the world as wine stores and wineries hosted special events, wine lovers hosted parties, and regular ol' wine geeks like me popped bottles of cabernet.

Participants communicated via Facebook, Google+, and Twitter, using the hashtag #CabernetDay. Of note, many people used the more traditional "face to face" method of communication. No, these weren't wine hipsters bent on being ironic, but wine lovers who realize the importance of sharing wine in person.

Like many bloggers, I was sent bottles as samples, with the hope that I would open and tweet about what I was having (and of course, use the #CabernetDay hashtag). Being a somewhat nice guy, I played along. It didn't hurt that the two samples I received were pretty tasty, or that the special bottle Becky and I opened was a stunning Washington cabernet from Owen Roe.

2009 Jacob's Creek Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Coonawarra: A nicely priced Australian Cabernet Sauvignon. Jacob's Creek makes a lot of wine, so this one is easy to find. Priced between $7 and $13, I found this to be a nice value for the money, especially at the lower end. The bouquet was full of ripe red and black berry fruit, eucalyptus, and leather. Once tasted, I found notes of the aforementioned fruit, along with oak, mocha, menthol, and dusty soil. It was very pleasant and the complexity surprised me for the price.

2008 Graffigna Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon: An Argentine Cabernet with some age on it, now things are getting interesting. I was especially intriuged because I made the mistake of reading some previous reviews of this Cabernet Sauvignon before I got around to tasting it. Of those, Stephen Tanzer, whom I respect greatly, gave this an 88 points. To me, that's a fine score! After sitting open for several hours, I liked the black currant and cherry notes, leather, and wood smoke. It's a full-bodied wine, still drinking a bit young and unintegrated, but overall a fun, good quality cabernet. SRP $15.

2008 Owen Roe Cabernet Sauvignon 1973 Block Red Willow Vineyard: Becky brought this home to open, and we're glad we did! Here is my review from cellartracker.com: "Gorgeous wine. Absolutely gorgeous. The bouquet is full of anise, leather, mocha, and dusty mineral notes. On the palate it's rich and complex, showing plenty of black fruit, salted meat, and bittersweet chocolate flavors. Integrated tannin lends a supple structure, and a surprising amount of acidity helps keep the balance. I could see this wine improving for another10 years, easily. It needed a solid two hours in the decanter, but is now showing as one of the best domestic cabernets you can buy for under $100."







And there you have it, Cabernet Day 2012, as told from Forest Grove. Two fun, solid wines and one stunningly good expression of the grape.

The first two wines featured here were recived as media samples.

Beau Carufel

Finger Lakes Wine: Red Tail Ridge Whites and Reds

After my last experience tasting wine from New York's Finger Lakes region, one which was a disaster, I was approached by my friend and fellow wine blogger Lenn Thompson. Lenn is one of the wine blogging world's heavyweights, as the editor of the New York Cork Report. He saw my piece on the Finger Lakes Virtual Tasting and asked me if I was interested in participating in another tasting at some point in the future.

Despite my bad experience with the previous Finger Lakes wines, I told him I was interested but promptly forgot about it. Life has been crazy since February..or better yet, since I moved here in October of last year. When Lenn did reach out to me with a firm date, asking if I wanted to do another virtual tasting with a single producer's wines, I readily agreed and looked forward to another round with wines from the Finger Lakes.

This time, we were tasting the wines from Red Tail Ridge, a 32 acre vineyard and winery located close to Seneca Lake. Founded in 2004, Red Tail Ridge makes a lineup of wines using both common and uncommon varieties. Since the Finger Lakes region is un-constrained by the dogmatic adherence to cabernet, syrah, and chardonnay that Napa Valley is, the wine growers love to plant unique and sometimes crazy grape species.

Unfortunately, the day of the virtual tasting came and I still had no wine! It didn't show up until later in the afternoon, an hour or two before the tasting start. This seems to happen frequently in virtual tastings, and while I won't single out Red Tail Ridge, I'll say that it's almost worthless to send out wine samples and not allow at least two weeks for the wine to settle. PR and marketing people should take note, get your acts together and if you're going to send out samples for virtual tastings, do so sooner rather than later.

2010 Red Tail Ridge Dry Riesling: Notes of ripe apricot, white flowers, and tropical fruits are all nicely integrated into a fun, aromatic bouquet. The palate brings vibrant acidity that showcases flavors of lemon, summer melon, and baking spices. As far as rieslings go, this is utterly delicious, and one of those wines that is flat-out fun to drink. Only 12% alcohol too, and best enjoyed with a nice chill on it.







2010 Red Tail Ridge Pinot Noir Estate Grown: Notes of shoe leather, shoe polish, cranberry, raw peppercorn, and green herbs make up the bouquet. Some slight burning sensations come out too, can't figure out if it's unbalanced alcohol or ethyl acetate. An intriguing bouquet that's worlds better than the first night it was opened. On the palate this is somewhat rustic, with prickly acidity all over the place, a savory note, and more of the cranberries mixing with cherries. Vaguely reminiscent of a pinot noir from Alto Adige, yet retaining it's own fickle texture. Hardly any tannin and an evaporative, quick finish that's all angles and green herb flavor. I get the distinct sense that this pinot noir is very uncomfortable right now, but will settle with age. 13.8% abv.

2009 Red Tail Ridge Blaufrankisch: Aromas of soil, tar, spices, and lots of red berry fruit rush up out of the glass. At first, the tar scent dominates before giving way to the red berries and spices. I liked this even more on the second day. It's a zingy wine with nice acidity but hardly any tannin. Still, that works becasue there's enough spice and red fruit mixed with a smokey, salted meat flavor to keep things interesting. The finish is medium length, retaining enough of that savory-meat quality to make your palate thirst for the next sip. 12% abv.

NV Red Tail Ridge Dornfelder: I'll admit, this wine confused me. When I pulled the cork, I thought I smelled something akin to hot plastic, like one of those hospital oxygen masks left in the sun. Weird! As the wine sat in my glass though, it began to show lots of plum and spice notes, along with black cherry and wood. Sipping this wine was like eating a bowl full of mixed, red berry fruit with little pieces of smoked meat thrown in. There was also a pleasant minerality that I found very compelling, especially on the second day. Another thing that impressed me about this Dornfelder was the long finish, easily lasting about 30 seconds. 12% abv.




For my palate, Red Tail Ridge is producing some of the best red wines in New York. Unfortunately, I have to say that I haven't had many reds from my home state yet. Still, the wines I tasted were compelling and although young, showed great promise. I liked the Dornfelder, a blend of the 2009 and 2010 vintages, for its uniqueness. The pinot noir shows that good pinot can in fact come from the Finger Lakes, and the Blaufrankisch was absolutely delicious. Of course, the Riesling was a fun, friendly wine too.

Since the wines arrived on the day of the Twitter Tasting, I refused to open and taste them, save for the Pinot Noir, and therefore missed out on some insights from the winery's representatives whom were on hand to answer questions. I also forgot to get a good picture of the Pinot Noir. Hindsight being what it is, I am glad I waited several months for the wines to settle out, because they would have been tough to drink on that warm April night.

Thanks to Lenn Thompson and the people at Red Tail Ridge for putting this together and showing me some delicious wines from the Finger Lakes of New York.

Beau Carufel