Hourglass Vineyards Blueline Estate New Releases

I recently had the pleasure of tasting through the Hourglass wines, specifically from their Blueline estate vineyard, in a virtual tasting along with a handful of other bloggers. Charles Communications organized the tasting, sending us four 375ml bottles from Hourglass Vineyards. We were joined by Proprieter Jeff Smith and Winemaker Tony Biagi. Tony took over in 2012, so we tasted the 2012 reds and 2013 sauvignon blanc. They discussed the wines, their philosophy, and some Napa Valley history.

The wines we tasted were:

2013 Hourglass Estate Sauvignon Blanc (SRP $40)
Big, rich on the palate, plenty of acid too. Feels like a big wine, but one that is balanced. Tropical and citrus with a touch of pear. Maybe a touch of wood too, showing up as some vanilla notes. Several tastes had me smacking my lips in anticipation of a bite of food. There is a touch of heat on the finish but honestly I was expecting more booziness based on the 14.2% abv so it was a very pleasant surprise. Suggested pairings would be fish tacos, grilled halibut, bbq chicken salad.

2012 Hourglass Blueline Estate Merlot (SRP $75)

Showing tart red fruit, balsamic vinegar, oak, and plums. The VA is a bit distracting at this point, though I think there is enough fruit behind it to help. On the palate it shows very traditional Napa-merlot flavors, think blackberry, plum, buttressed by oak and nicely integrated tannin. I like the finish most of all, perhaps, because there's a dusty, spicy element that finishes very cleanly. 91% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Petit Verdot. 14.8% abv. Suggested pairings include hamburgers, ribs, and beef or lamb stew.

2012 Hourglass Blueline Estate Malbec (SRP $75)
Think smokey, meaty, blackberry and blueberries. That's this wine on the nose. I like the odd note of grapefruit pith too. It's plenty ripe, showing black fruit, dusty soil, and grippy tannins along with chocolate and a burst of red fruit on the finish. This wine makes me want a fancy bacon cheeseburger, it's also something like 25% petit verdot, so you know it tugs at my heartstrings! 75% Malbec, 25% Petit Verdot. 14.2% abv. Suggested pairings include bone-in steak, lamb, pork ribs.

2012 Hourglass Blueline Estate Cabernet Franc (SRP $135)
I thought of the word "big" right away. I like the richness on the nose, with aromas of violet, chocolate, coffee, blueberry, and cherry. Plenty of oak on the palate, which works with very ripe blue fruit, chocolate, black pepper, and firm tannins. Heat on the finish comes not as a surprise, and I think would be mitigated by food. This is lush, elegant, downright fancy wine. I would age this for years or serve it now after a long decant. If the malbec demands a fancy burger, this cabernet franc demands you serve it filet mignon. 83% Cabernet Franc, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot. 14.8% abv.

Overall I liked tasting these wines because it gave me a bit of a glimpse into what is going on in Napa Valley right now. Each wine is unabashedly "Napa", meaning big flavor, structure, and ample concentration. That is not at all a knock though, because in the case of the malbec and cabernet franc, it works. I enjoyed the sauvignon blanc much more than I expected to, but just can't plop down $40 a bottle. Again, no knock on quality, rather, I seek out different examples for my own cellar.

I want to address one thing, as sort of a disclaimer. I don't drink a lot of Napa Valley wines and can probably count on one hand how many producers I actively buy. For this tasting, I tried my very best to taste with context. That is to say that I tasted each wine with the understanding of where it was from, the style which Napa Valley tends to produce, and the vintage. For my friends who love high acid, low alcohol wines with less fruit and more tertiary flavors, these are not for you. For my friends who love rich, concentrated, bigger wines that still have good acid (and plenty of alcohol), I recommend the Hourglass Vineyards spring releases.

These wines were media samples for review purposes.

Beau Carufel

Finger Lakes Red Wine, A Long Way To Go

Last month I was offered the chance to take part in a live, virtual tasting featuring the red wines of the Finger Lakes region in New York. I've done virtual tastings in the past and they've always been a great learning experience. Usually I get to explore a new (to me) region as well as further train my palate in wine evaluation. I jumped at the chance to participate in the Fingers Lakes Red Wines virtual tasting because I am intrigued by what is coming out of New York right now. The region is well known for its rieslings but less so for the reds.

There were eight of us from the media participating, along with a representative (usually the winemaker) from each winery also on hand to take questions. For an hour we media types were able to ask questions and learn about each wine while we tasted them one by one.

The wines we tasted are listed here:
2009 Lakewood Vineyards Lemberger
2009 Fox Run Vineyards Lemberger
2010 Anthony Road Wine Company Cabernet Franc/Lemberger
2010 Inspire Moore Winery Wisdom Cabernet Franc Reserve
2010 Damiani Wine Cellars Pinot Noir
2010 Three Brothers Wineries Barbera
2010 Billsboro Winery Syrah
2006 Shaw Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon

We tasted in two flights, four wines a piece, with the first four listed above being in the first flight and the next four in the subsequent flight. I can see the reasoning behind this, since Lemberger is lighter than say syrah or cabernet sauvignon. Breaking up the eight wines also worked out for logistical reasons, but that's not really important to this blog.

At first I intended to post the tasting notes for each wine, but that was before the virtual tasting. Afterwards, I didn't really want to even write a post but feel obligated to do so.

Here's the problem: Out of those eight wines, one was enjoyable. The 2010 Billsboro Winery Syrah was pretty nice, and more importantly it was fault-free. Every other wine in the tasting had problems; volatile acidity, brettanomyces, baterial contamination, over-use of oak, and under-ripe flavors being chief among them. My impressions were echoed by other well known wine bloggers. Of course, there was the obligatory sample-whore praising every single wine, but those kinds of wine bloggers are in every tasting. Still, the fact that almost every wine was staggeringly difficult to drink really put a damper on the excitement.

Since I don't know much about New York wines, let alone the reds, I made some inquiries about why we got this lineup. One person I spoke to said: "The wines in this tasting don't necessarily represent the region's best reds. Not by a long shot.". Ouch. That's a strong indictment of the wines, said politely.

I tasted each wine over the course of three days and the Three Brothers Barbera improved a little bit. Therefore, along with the Billsboro Syrah, I found two (one and a half, really) in my first tasting experience of red wines from the Finger Lakes. To say that's an inauspicious start is an understatement.

There are many other producers in the Finger Lakes region and I am not drawing any conclusions as to the overall quality, because that would be unfair. Stylistically, I think I understand what the producers are going for, and in my opinion the flaws cover up what could be some very interesting flavor profiles. I also realize this article isn't going to win me any fans, but I feel compelled to write about my experience.

Beau Carufel

Domaine de Cantemerle Bordeaux Superieur, Buy It.

At long last, I come to the end of the Planet Bordeaux series of wines. I've chronicled the wines in the following posts:
2008 Chateau Pey La Tour
2006 Chateau Lestrille
2006 Costes Du Chateau Feret-Lambert
2009 Chateau La Freynelle Bordeaux Rosé


This, the final post, covers perhaps the best of the bunch, a 2005 Domaine de Cantemerle Bordeaux Superieur. 2005 was considered a superb year, much like 2003, 2009, 2010..Get the picture? Usually when I hear that the vintage has been declared "vintage of the century" by the critics, I roll my eyes. After all, isn't there supposedly only one, not five or more in the span of 15 years? I know and am comfortable with the fact that I'll most likely never taste or own any of the First Growths from these years, so these proclamations have no real effect on me. What does matter to my palate is that Bordeaux taste like Bordeaux, not some trumped up, high alcohol, bastardized attempt at making wines that taste like they're grown off of Highway 29. Let Bordeaux wines be expressive of Bordeaux, call me a minimalist!

Anyways, ranting aside, I was happy to "discover" this bottle of Bordeaux in my stash, seemingly forgotten during the inevitable movement of bottles between the wine fridge and my mouth. I then decided to open it up and see if this 2005 lived up to the momentous declarations of Suckling and Parker.

Well, it sure comes close. This is not a 98 point Pomerol, and nor should it be. Rather, it's classified a Bordeaux Superier, which often means exceptional quality at unexceptional prices. If I had to make a guess at the price, I'd say around $20 or so. At the end of this blog I'll find out the real price then we can compare.

Let's take a look at what I have in my glass then. The Cantemerle is dark in my glass, darker than a lot of Bordeaux I've had before.  I'm reminded of a Cabernet from Napa Valley because the color veers towards purple instead of dark garnet. The wine is a blend of the five varietals allowed in Bordeaux. Merlot, cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, malbec and petit verdot all in one bottle.

Right away I can smell the Bordeaux here, it comes across as a dusty, herbaceous note with a bit of funk. Glorious! Beautiful notes of tobacco, spice, cocoa, and cassis too. One of those wines that you want to keep smelling because each whiff is a discovery. The aromas are subtle, nothing screams up out of the glass to beat  at your nostrils with a rubber hose. In essence, the Cantemerle has class.

After suitable ooohing and aaahing, I'm ready to take some sips. The aromas match up well with the flavors I'm getting. Great drying tannins, some acidity on the finish and a very nice depth to the mid palate. I think the wine is hitting its stride right now and with a few hours in a decanter, will reward you with wonderful complexity and pleasing mouthfeel. In addition to the earth and herbs, there's a great vein of bittersweet chocolate and dried berry thing going on. This is why I love wine, the way flavors jump out and capture ones imagination!

What a great way to cap off the Planet Bordeaux series of wines, each one was wonderful and exceeded my expectations. They were all well made, very nicely priced, and a good foundation for someone looking to explore the Bordeaux region. After poking around a bit, I found the importer here in the United States, it's Lion Wines, so check them out and if you want this 2005, send them an email. I gave the 2005 Domaine de Cantemerle a B+ and a STRONG BUY recommendation. If you happen to see it online or at your favorite local wine shop, buy a couple of bottles. Oh and as far as the price goes, I found it on wine-searcher for about $19. So my prediction of $20 a bottle was almost dead on. I hope you're able to find this wine, it should be part of your collection.

This wine was sent as a sample for Planet Bordeaux via Balzac Communications.

Beau Carufel

2008 Chateau Pey La Tour, More Goodness from Planet Bordeaux

I've tasted almost all the samples that Planet Bordeaux sent out to me in February, as my scores indicate, they sent out winners. Charlie Sheen would be proud. The latest Bordeaux I sampled was the 2008 Chateau Pey La Tour, an entry-level from the lowest classification of Bordeaux wines. Recall that Bordeaux and Bordeaux Superieur are geographically the same, however to have the "Superieur" added, the wine must meet higher requirements than a basic Bordeaux.

As far as vintages go, the 2008 has not gotten huge press of say the 2005's or 2009's. Considered a tougher, more hands-on growing season, 2008's are starting to show up on your retailer's shelves. As is typical, the lower tier wines are first to market, followed over the course of the next 18 months by the progressively higher-cru Chateaux. Wine Spectator wrote a free report on the 2008 growing season, click here to read through it.

The 2008 Pey La Tour is 77% merlot, 14% cabernet sauvignon, 8% cabernet franc and 1% petite verdot. Out of this cuvee, the cabernet franc shows up in spades on the bouquet and the merlot dominates the palate. Bright berries, pepper and nice dark earth are all nicely integrated and waft out of the glass enticingly. Lots of powdered chocolate, earth and a fun mixed-berry preserve flavor combine nicely. I also got some plum and a touch of oak. The finish goes on impressively considering the wine's price.

Best to open and decant or use a Vinturi on this wine, I think I've recommended that for all the Bordeaux and Bordeaux Superieur I've reviewed so far. After a few hours of open time, the flavors mingle nicely, begging to be shared with a meal. French wines are almost always great for food, the 2008 Pey La Tour is no exception and I had a great meal of bacon-wrapped bratwurst, fingerling potatoes and sauteed spinach with the wine.

Another winner from Planet Bordeaux, and a winetastic value, to quote my friend Bill from Cuvee Corner. Around $13 per bottle and apparently widely distributed throughout the United States, Chateau Pey La Tour's little gem is well worth the price. I gave this a B and a BUY recommendation.

Some upcoming blogs will be featuring two wonderful wines from Soave, and coming up on April 2nd, a dessert wine tasting! That's got me all giddy inside, a lot of great people sent me some awesome samples to try with a variety of desserts. Stay tuned!

This wine was received as a press sample from Planet Bordeaux via Balzac.


Beau Carufel