Mr. Mike's Odd Tasting: 1995 Bordeaux From The Vault

Once again, Mr. Mike at John's Marketplace pulled some outstanding wines from his personal cellar for us to try for a $10 tasting fee. There was a white Cotes du Rhone poured first, that I completely forgot the name of (it was rather nasty anyway), so it is not listed.

• - 1995 Château Lalande - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
  Decanted 1 hour. Still at cellar temperature, requiring much swirling with my hands cupping the bowl of the glass to warm it up. Quite thin, not much nose either. Perhaps a bit of mushroom and strawberry. Flavors were muted, with strawberries and dirt. Nice acidity, but the flavor just isn't there for me. (85 pts.)


• - 1995 Château de Clairefont - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
  Decanted 1 hour. Still at cellar temp. Much more fragrant and fruity on the nose, and more robust flavors as well. Bright raspberry fruit, pencil shavings and earth hitting the palate. (91 pts.)


• - 1995 Château Gloria - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
  Decanted 1 hour. Still at cellar temp, but warming...Nice nose, sort of a blueberry with gravel sort of thing. Fruit is a bit thin, showing strawberries and a cedar wood flavor. Much more drinkable than the Château Lalande, but doesn't approach the Clairefont or Mouton. (88 pts.)


• - 1995 Château Mouton Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
  Decanted 90 min. A tad cold, but warmer than the others, requiring less 'cupping' to get it to a decent temp. Visually, quite dark purple. Smelling of roasted meat and blueberries. Flavors are big blackberry and blueberry fruit, earth, and a tad of smokiness. This is good stuff, although I doubt I'd pay $300+ for this. My first First Growth Bordeaux! (92 pts.)

As always, tasting notes are posted from CellarTracker.

Mr. Mike's Odd Tasting: Super Scoring Aussie Wines

Mr. Mike at John's Marketplace pulled some more great bottles out of his cellar tonight. What a treat! I think the lowest scoring red was 98 points. The white was a last-minute addition, and not on the original list.

• 2004 Torbreck Sémillon Woodcutter's White - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
  Very interesting Aussie Sémillon...aged just enough too. A hazelnut/pinenut component that really gets my attention. This tastes more like a Chardonnay...white Burgundy actually, especially after it started warming up in my glass. Fun wine! (87 pts.)


• 2001 Torbreck Run Rig - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
  No decant, and it really needed one. Dark purple with a very floral nose. In the mouth, just a tad bitter, coming around slowly as it swirled in the glass. Blueberry fruit really stands out in this one for me, with some serious black pepper and a long sweet finish with surprisingly firm tannins. This could go another 10 years easy. (95 pts.)


• 2002 Glaetzer Shiraz Amon-Ra Barossa Valley - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
  Decanted 1 hour. Probably my wine of the night. From a great vintage, this wine had softened enough to really showcase more than just the huge fruit, oak and tannins. There was some complexity there that was starting to emerge, with lots of black pepper showing as well. Blackberry fruit, and a nice sweet finish. Showing very well at this stage. (95 pts.)


• 2003 Glaetzer Shiraz Amon-Ra Barossa Valley - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
  Decanted 1 hour. This wine was missing something. It certainly wasn't oak and it definitely wasn't tannins...the fruit was there too, but not as sweet and lush as the 2002. Almost harsh, actually. This just needs a decade of cellar time...way too young. The tannic finish curls my toes, and not in a good way. This should be amazing in 10 years. (90 pts.)


• 2005 Glaetzer Shiraz Amon-Ra Barossa Valley - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
  Decanted 1 hour, and needed about 23 more. A MASSIVE wine, just over the top in all categories. Aroma was mouthwatering with black fruit and pepper, and in the mouth, that fruit slaps you upside the head. But the real killer is the tannic vice that locks down on your mouth and throat once you swallow the wine. Once my vision cleared, about 2 minutes later, I could still taste the huge fruit in this wine...an amazing finish of sweet fruit. This was sheer infanticide and I wouldn't even dream of opening a bottle of this in the next decade. This is a wine for your grandchildren. (93 pts.)

As always, tasting notes posted from CellarTracker.

Mr. Mike's Odd Tasting: Old California Cabernet and Blends

Mr. Mike at John's Marketplace sent out an email less than 24 hours prior to this event. $10 got you a taste of each wine, until they were gone, with some absolute blockbusters in the lineup...How on earth could I say no?!?

• 1989 Kenwood Cabernet Sauvignon Artist Series - USA, California, Sonoma County
  A bit of funk on the nose at first. This wine was most certainly NOT over the hill and dead! Although starting to brick at the edges, this is drinking quite nicely for a 20 year-old cab. Dark fruits, some barnyard/earthiness, and cedar. Very smooth, with just a hint of tannins on the finish (still!). (90 pts.)


• 1984 Mount Eden Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Bottled - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  As noted by a previous taster below, this had a bit of musty funk at first. Several other tasters thought it corked. The mustiness blew off, and by the time I revisited this wine an hour later, it was gone completely. I'm again amazed by how young this 25 year-old wine seems. Great fruit, just starting to go into the browner side of maroon. Blackberry, currants and some barnyard funk. So tasty...surprisingly grippy tannins as well, even on my second tasting at the end of the event. What a thrill to drink. (94 pts.)


• 1996 Mount Eden Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vine Reserve - USA, California, San Francisco Bay, Santa Cruz Mountains
  Amazingly still quite young. Big black fruits and nice earthiness. Quite complex, with some minty flavors. Firm tannins on the finish...this has a long life ahead of it. (93 pts.)


• 1993 Opus One - USA, California, Napa Valley
  This was like aged Bordeaux, with the cedar/pencil aspects. Very light in color, with lots of gravelly earth flavors. Raspberry fruit, maybe some currant or cranberry? Definitely the most complex wine in the lineup, so far, but the flavors don't grab me like some of the others did. (91 pts.)


• 1994 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Bella Oaks - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
  Surprisingly bold and firm, with chewy tannins and some "Rutherford Dust" characteristics. Blackberry fruit is smooth and lush, with additional flavors of earth and olives. The CT drinking window is way off...this has another 4-5 years in it. (92 pts.)


• 2000 Justin Vineyard Isosceles - USA, California, Central Coast, Paso Robles
  Having tasted a number of 2000 vintage Napa wines, including the 2000 Harlan "The Maiden" and 2000 Opus One, I was surprised to see such a flavorful wine from that vintage. It appears that Paso Robles wasn't affected by whatever weather killed the Napa harvest in 2000. This wine was the fruitiest of the bunch, with raspberry and spice, and nice tannins that were integrated perfectly. Although lacking the complexity I normally associate with Isosceles, this wine is by no means lacking flavor. (93 pts.)


• 2005 Gundlach Bundschu Cabernet Sauvignon Rhinefarm Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley
  My least favorite of the tasting, probably just because it is so damn young! Quite tannic, this tasted much more like a Cab Franc or Malbec than Cab Sauv. Blueberry was the dominant fruit for me, with some very nice dirt. Not earthiness, this was DIRT. I could almost see the pebbles and earthworms as I sipped this. While it was tasty, most of the finer nuances were hidden behind the tannins. I'd recommend holding this one another 3-5 years, unless you like your Cabs young. (89 pts.)

Thanks to Mr. Mike for pulling most of these bottles from his private cellar and sharing them with us. I was surprised to see that not many showed up for this event, including none of my wine-loving friends. I just have to say that you all missed out on a wonderful tasting, with some really interesting and delicious wines!

As always, tasting notes are posted from CellarTracker.

2009 Thanksgiving Dinner

THANKSGIVING DINNER - Dietra's House, Portland OR (11/26/2009)

Event photos on Flickr.

Thanksgiving dinner at Dietra's, with Dietra, Dave, Steve & Kirsty, Jason, Phil, Woody, Liz & Scott, and LeRae (+1), Chris and her daughter left before dinner, and Trish & Ian, Brian & Emy, and Didi & his sister showed up after dinner for board games. Dinner was roast turkey, stuffing, butternut squash gratin, mashed sweet potatoes, Crescent rolls, butternut squash salad, dumplings, cranberry, and a number of other things I'm either forgetting or didn't get a chance to eat. Several tasty appetizers and desserts were also present, including the ubiquitous pumpkin pie, the remains of which I took home with me (pumpkin pie for breakfast...yum!).

Before Dinner Wines

• - 2002 Leonetti Cellar Reserve Walla Walla Valley - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
  While I have had some so-so wines from Leonetti this year, the Walla Walla Reserve has been a consistent hit. Even from the tough, overly hot 2002 vintage, this wine is drinking at absolute peak right now. Everything is integrated perfectly, and the fruit is lush and mouth-coating. Big blackberry and vanilla flavors. So delicious...No decant on this one, just a pop-n-pour before Thanksgiving dinner. It was an instant hit with all present, and was the first bottle to be finished. At $90/bottle, not a very good QPR, but for a special occasion wine it worked nicely. Sad it was my last, but glad I was able to share it with friends. (93 pts.)


• - 2002 Hazyblur Shiraz Barossa Valley - Australia, South Australia, Barossa, Barossa Valley
  Pop & Pour. This wine was a joy to drink. Like pouring ink into your glass, it was black-purple in color, and very thick. Heavy pepper to go with the huge blackberry fruit, and perhaps some smoked meat and earth. Very tasty, and a crowd pleaser all around. Apparently, I can't lose with 2002 vintage wines from South Australia! (93 pts.)


• - 2005 Cakebread Cellars Syrah - USA, California, Napa Valley, Carneros
  Pop & pour. This wine should have been decanted. Even after several hours of being open, the wine was closed and unforgiving. Tannic finish, and the fruit was lurking in there somewhere under the leather and tar, but not overly apparent. I detected some raspberry and maybe a hint of cherry, but the fruit was quite sour and disappointing. Needs time or a serious decant at this point. (86 pts.)


• - 2005 Beaulieu Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve - USA, California, Napa Valley
  Decanted 6 hours. First sip right out of the bottle was like getting hit in the face with a hammer. The aroma of red and black fruits was intoxicating, but the huge slathering of fruit flavors, followed by the wall of tannins was almost too much. Even after 6 hours in the decanter, and several more with the bottle open on the counter, it was still very, very young. The WE drinking window on the is 2011+, and I'd have to say AT LEAST 2011. Maybe 2015...but I digress. Back to the wine: Lots of huge cassis, blackberry and cola (or is it mocha?) flavors. This wine is just immense, and oh-so tasty. I love the purity of the fruit, but elegant this wine is not. Too 'in your face' with the fruit and tannins. Speaking of the tannins, they are still fairly harsh on the finish, even after 8 hours. Yikes. Put this one away for another 3 to 5, and you will be rewarded. (94 pts.)


• - 2005 Groth Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Napa Valley, Oakville
  Steve's wine, no decant. Very elegant Cab...great dark fruits, tobacco & earth. A bit tannic at first, it started in integrate after about 3 hours, and ended up being one of my favorites of the night. I would like to revisit this wine in about 3 or 4 years. (92 pts.)


• - 2005 Grgich Hills Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Grown - USA, California, Napa Valley
  Steve's wine, no decant. This one wasn't as enjoyable as the 2005 Groth or 2005 BV Georges de Latour. Seemed somewhat closed in comparison. Cherry fruit with lots of earthiness and cedar wood. Enjoyable, but not as much as I had expected. (89 pts.)


• - 2003 Fireblock Grenache Old Vine - Australia, South Australia, Mount Lofty Ranges, Clare Valley
  Phil's wine, no decant. This one was an anomaly. People either loved it (LeRae) or were very disappointed (Phil). I fell somewhere in between. It was nice and fruit, as expected from an Aussie Grenache, certainly not over the top. Muted and restrained, it started drinking much better toward the end of the night. Not sure if this is because the air time improved the wine, or our level of intoxication and palate fatigue rendered us unable to tell the difference (or care, for that matter...) (85 pts.)

Wines with Dinner

• - 2001 Monte Antico Toscana IGT - Italy, Tuscany, Toscana IGT
  From magnum, popped & poured. This actually was quite popular at dinner, as it paired decently with all of the different foods, including the turkey. Smooth and simple, the flavors of cherry and earth, as well as the wine's softness, just worked with everything. Sad when a Cakebread Syrah is outscored by a $10 Tuscan table wine. (87 pts.)


• - 2006 Cameron Pinot Noir Arley's Leap - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
  Pop & pour. This is the wine I brought as a pairing to the turkey, and it did so quite well, even overshadowing the bird somewhat. Quite big and fruity for a Pinot, 2006 vintage non-withstanding. Deep garnet in color, with a beautiful raspberry and saddle leather nose. Flavors of cherry, leather and a nice earthiness, finishing with a bit of sweetness that was surprising. This wine is so well-integrated, it was enjoyable to drink. I ended up kidnapping the bottle over to our table and spent more time enjoying the wine than eating my dinner. Nice work, John Paul. (91 pts.)


• - 2003 Anam Cara Pinot Noir - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains
  Very dark and thick, almost like a port. Huge blackberry and raspberry fruit, with just a touch of earthiness under the raisiny port-like sweetness. Enjoyed by all. (90 pts.)

Unfortunately, there were many more wines present (18 bottles in all!) that I either didn't get to taste, or forgot my notes.
HUGE thanks to Dietra for hosting the event, AND doing most of the cooking. The turkey, stuffing and butternut squash gratin were all amazing, as always! Our foray into into the world of board games ended in hilarity, and fun was had by all. Sorry about the camera Steve...or rather the contents of the camera.

As always, tasting notes posted from CellarTracker

Willamette Valley Wine Tasting

Some friends and I attended a couple of wine events down in the Carlton area, and decided to hit up several other wineries in the general area as well. Although we visited the tasting room at Adelsheim Vineyards, I didn't purchase a tasting, and only had sips of the other's wine, so I didn't include them in this post.

Cana's Feast Winery
Wine Club pickup party, with delicious winery chef-prepared food pairings (noted below in the tasting notes).

• 2006 Cana's Feast Winery Bricco - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
  Paired with roasted eggplant salad with blackened tomato vinaigrette. Seems rather primal at this point, but was our first wine of the day. A blend of 89% Sangiovese, 7.5% Syrah and 3.5% Barbera, from Ciel du Cheval, Seven Hills, and Coyote Canyon vineyards. Very plummy, with a bit of earthiness also. Acidity was a bit too bright, and felt like it was burning my mouth. Tannins were smooth, and fruit was front and center. (85 pts.)


• 2007 Cana's Feast Winery Barbera - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
  Paired with roasted chicken thighs stuffed with proscuitto di parma, porcini mushrooms and grana padano. Spicy red fruit, nice acidic zing, and well-integrated tannins make for a nice-drinking wine. Fruit sourced from Ciel du Cheval and Coyote Canyon vineyards. (88 pts.)


• 2006 Cana's Feast Winery Pinot Noir Reserve - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
  Paired with chanterelle and morbier bread custard with speck. Very tasty and drinking well with some air. Cherry pie, tobacco and leather. Just a perfect Oregon Pinot. Fruit sourced from Elton Vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills AVA. (90 pts.)


• 2007 Cana's Feast Winery Sangiovese Grosso - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
  Paired with Ribollita (a bean soup with olive oil and homemade croutons). This was just bottled, according to the winemaker. Lots of black cherry and strawberry flavors, with lots of acid and some drying tannins. Fruit is from the first certified VCR6 clone (used primarily in Brunello wines) planting in the US. Will be interesting to see how this develops with age. Still showing its infancy now. (89 pts.)


• 2006 Cana's Feast Winery Bricco Two Rivers Reserve - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
  Paired with braised boneless beef short ribs with red wine and bitter chocolate. What a difference 6+ months makes! This wine is really starting to drink nicely. The overabundant oak I got from a prior tasting was much better integrated, and the sweet (mostly) red mountain fruit was singing. Nice blackberries, cassis and vanilla. Drinking well now, but use even another 6-12 months of bottle age. (92 pts.)

Owen Roe Winery
This was the Autumn Open House/Release event, hosted at the AgriVino Event Center on Abbey Road Farm outside of Carlton.

• 2008 O'Reilly's Pinot Gris - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
  Very peachy fruit...bright acidity, but just not a wine I can get into. Maybe I'm just not a fan of Pinot Gris? (83 pts.)


• 2008 O'Reilly's Chardonnay - USA, Oregon
  Nice pear fruit in this light straw-colored Chardonnay. Zing of acidity is nice. The wine is quite refreshing on this 85 degree day. (86 pts.)


• 2008 Owen Roe Pinot Noir "The Kilmore" - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton
  I just LOVE the 2008 vintage Oregon Pinot noirs! I was (am) not a fan of the lighter, more burgundian 2007's. Just my tastes...I'm not a big fan of Burgundy either. This wine is everything 2007 wasn't. Big, fruity, dark, and mouthcoating. Lots of cherry fruit, and a wee bit of tannic bite. May need a year to settle down. (88 pts.)


• 2008 Owen Roe Pinot Noir Dundee Hills - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills
  Much lighter than the other 2008's, and more like a Burgundy. Some spicy cherry fruit, with a nice layer of saddle leather. (87 pts.)


• 2008 Owen Roe Pinot Noir Chehalem Mountains - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains
  A tiny 4-barrel lot (70 cases) of Pinot noir sourced from Anna's Vineyard in the Chehalem Mountains AVA, comes this very dark, spicy wine. Very tasty, and maybe tied for my favorite Owen Roe Pinot at this tasting. Sweet cherry fruit, lots of spices and acidity. (89 pts.)


• 2007 Owen Roe Pinot Noir Solomon Hills Vineyard Santa Maria Valley - USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Maria Valley
  The California Pinot noir this year. Definitely not my favorite...higher acidity than is comfortable, with some cherry fruit wrapped around some lightly drying tannins. (85 pts.)


• 2008 Owen Roe Pinot Noir "Sharecropper's" - USA, Oregon
  Probably my favorite Pinot at the tasting. It just seemed more evolved than the others. Strawberry fruit, a touch of leather and earth. Much deeper in flavor and color than the previous vintage. (89 pts.)


• 2008 Owen Roe Abbot's Table - USA, Oregon/Washington
  This wine typically needs 6+ months in the bottle to start coming around (unless it is the 2007, which never really did). After a wonderful 2006 vintage (heavy on the Zinfandel) of this wine, I loaded up with 6 bottles of the Sangiovese-based 2007 (untasted) and got burned. And it still isn't anywhere near the delicious 2006. So when the Zin-heavy 2008 was released, I was quite happy! But, learning from my 2007 mistake, I only picked up 4 bottles this time. I'm kind of glad I did, because I wasn't too impressed with the wine. Admittedly, it is still quite young, but the wine seemed rather flat and unexciting. I was hoping for the deep fruit of the 2006, but it fell short. Some sweet blue and black fruit was present, but the finish was quite bitter. I'm hoping this wine comes around by 2010. (87 pts.)


• 2008 Owen Roe Sinister Hand - USA, Oregon, Columbia Valley
  I typically love the Sinister Hand Rhone blend (62% Grenache, 35% Syrah, 3% Mourvedre), and 2008 is no different. Showing it's youth, definitely, but going to be a great wine for sure. Black fruits, pepper, and nice mouthfeel. Can't wait to pick some up for a vertical... (90 pts.)


• 2007 Owen Roe Syrah Ex Umbris - USA, Oregon/Washington, Columbia Valley
  Probably my wine of the tasting. Everything just works with this wine. Blackberry, pepper, some blueberry, smoke, all wrapped up with nice tannins and acidity. Drinking well now. (92 pts.)


• 2008 Owen Roe Syrah "Lady Rosa" - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
  Not sure where the time went...I hadn't even had a chance to pickup any of the 2007 and the 2008 is already here. How time flies...This wine is quite young, but shows much promise. Peppery blackberry and cassis, with bacon fat and smoked meat. Makes me wonder if there is some Viognier in this. I like it, but it needs a year or so to come together. (89 pts.)


• 2007 Owen Roe Red Wine Yakima Valley - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Yakima Valley
  24% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Franc, and 33% Cabernet Sauvignon from Yakima Valley. Very young and tight...lots of drying tannins and bright acidity. The fruit is there too, in the form of gobs of earthy blackberries, but this wine is needing time to come together. Very disjointed right now. Hopefully we will see some progress in 6-12 months. I personally would hold this one until 2011. (91 pts.)

Adelsheim Vineyards
No tasting notes taken. I will say, however, that their winery is beautiful (and with the huge solar panel array, quite 'green', I'm sure), and the wines were very tasty. While I wasn't a huge fan of their 2007's (and most 2007's in general), their 2006 was a knockout. I can't wait to try their 2008's!


ArborBrook Vineyards
After leaving Adelsheim Vineyards, we decided to continue up the road and do a random drop-in tasting at ArborBrook.

• 2008 ArborBrook Vineyards Pinot Gris Croft - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton
  Definitely not my style of wine. Seems lacking...bright fruit and acidity, but missing depth in the midpalate. (82 pts.)


• 2008 ArborBrook Vineyards Pinot Gris Ana Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Dundee Hills
  This is more like it. Oak barrel-fermented, boosting up the midpalate nicely. (86 pts.)


• 2007 ArborBrook Vineyards Pinot Noir Heritage Cuvée - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
  Rather thin and acidic. A touch of that signature leather, and light strawberry and cherry flavors. Missing something... (87 pts.)


• 2007 ArborBrook Vineyards Pinot Noir Estate 777 Block - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Chehalem Mountains
  Now we're getting somewhere! Nice cherry and currant fruit, with a good deal of leather and tobacco. Lighter than the 2005 I enjoyed previously. (88 pts.)


• 2007 ArborBrook Vineyards Pinot Noir Vintner's Select Arbor Brook Vineyard - USA, Oregon, Yamhill County
  Definitely from the best barrels of the year, with some additional aging. Big sour cherry fruit, with saddle leather funk. I like it! A bit darker and more mouthcoating than the other Pinots also. Looking forward to their 2008's! (89 pts.)


• 2007 ArborBrook Vineyards Sémillon "Sydney" - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
  Wow, this was somewhat of a surprise! Late harvest, like November or something...from Klipsun Vineyard. Somewhat oily, and quite mouthcoating. I wouldn't be able to handle more than a 1/2 glass of this in one sitting. Just way too sweet for my palate, but what a wine! (88 pts.)

Tasting notes posted from my event on CellarTracker.

Italy in the Valley Wine Tasting Event

First annual event celebrating Italian varietals that are grown and/or vinified in Oregon, held on the patio and lawn of Cana's Feast Winery in Carlton, OR. We couldn't have asked for a better day, or place, to have this event. Also included were panino sandwiches, either porchetta and ricotta, or panino with roasted garden tomatoes, goat cheese an arugula, and served with either heirloom tomato salad with basil oil, aged balsamic and shaved parmesan or shaved zucchini with lemon basil leaves, and toasted pine nuts We also had the chance to ogle a Lamborghini Gallardo and two Ferrari F455's. All for $10!

Apolloni Vineyards
Poured by Alfredo Apolloni

• 2007 Apolloni Pinot Grigio - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley, Yamhill-Carlton
  Pale golden in color. Nose of melon, following to the palate. Sharp acidity, but light flavor. (85 pts.)


• 2007 Apolloni Soleggio Conti di Val Seriana - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
  Nice deep maroon color. Nose is wonderfully exotic, with red and black fruit, tobacco and spices. Some sour cherry on the palate, along with cigar box, and some fairly hefty tannins at this point. Several years in a cellar will do this wine well. (91 pts.)

Barking Frog Winery
Poured by Ron & Cindy Helbig

• 2007 Barking Frog Sangiovese - USA, Oregon/Washington, Yakima Valley
  Lighter red in color. Subtle perfume of cherry. Light in flavor, with cherry and a floral component. Light acid. (86 pts.)

Cana's Feast Winery
Poured by Patrick Taylor & Dan Duryee

• 2006 Cana's Feast Winery Sangiovese Bricco - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
  Deep red color. Raspberries and some earthy/smoky flavors. Quite enjoyable. (89 pts.)


• 2006 Cana's Feast Winery Nebbiolo - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Red Mountain
  Rust colored, which surprised me. Looks like a lighter aged cabernet. Very floral perfume, with cherry and tobacco on the palate, and drying tannins on the finish. Prepare to pucker... (89 pts.)

Duck Pond Cellars
Poured by Cindy Olson

• 2007 Duck Pond Pinot Gris - USA, Oregon
  Barely anything there...some melon and pear, but I can't get any enjoyment out of this. Ick. (77 pts.)


• 2005 Duck Pond Sangiovese - USA, Oregon
  Light nose, can't really smell much. Bitter, sour cherry flavor. Has some age on it, compared to the others here, but you can't tell at all, unless it is just past peak. (82 pts.)

Hip Chicks Do Wine
Poured by Laurie Lewis, Renee Neely & Callie Snyder

• N.V. Hip Chicks do Wine Sangiovese - USA, Washington
  A blend of 2006-2007 fruit from Yakima Valley in Washington. Super dark in color. Stewed, sweet prune aromas, almost like a port or madiera. Bittersweet in the mouth, and unlike any Sangiovese I've ever had. And not in a good way. Very bitter finish. (80 pts.)

Marchesi Vineyards
Poured by Franco Marchesi & Anya Cristina

• 2008 Marchesi Dolcetto - USA, Oregon, Columbia Valley
  Light in color. Nose of strawberries, following to the palate. Slight sweetness on the finish. (85 pts.)


• 2007 Marchesi Barbera - USA, Oregon, Columbia Valley
  Deep red in color, almost like an Oregon Pinot from a good year. Cherry nose. Sour cherry on the palate, but very stewed fruit. (83 pts.)

Mystic Wines
Poured by Rick Mafit

• 2006 Mystic Wines Barbera - USA, Oregon, Columbia Valley
  Nice deep maroon. Sweet plums, with impressive structure. Somewhat mouthcoating and lush. (87 pts.)

Natalie's Estate Winery
Poured by Cassandra Teegarden

• 2008 Natalie's Estate Winery Sangiovese - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
  Barrel sample. Dark, dark red, nearing black in color. Quite young tasting, with a crush of tannins, but big cherry and plum fruit, with tobacco. This may be a blockbuster in a few years. Showing very well from barrel. (89 pts.)

Ponzi Vineyards
Poured by Scott VanDyke

• 2008 Ponzi Vineyards Arneis - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
  Very pale straw color. Very aromatic and floral nose. Pears/green apples, slightly sweet, but with a dry, acidic finish. (85 pts.)


• 2006 Ponzi Vineyards Dolcetto - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
  Medium red color. Earthy strawberries, with a touch of tobacco. Finishes rather sour and primary. (86 pts.)

Remy Wines
Poured by Remy Drabkin

• 2006 Remy Wines Lagrein - USA, Oregon, Willamette Valley
  VERY interesting red! A traditional Italian varietal, only recently introduced to Oregon. A fairly tannic wine, with mulberry, cherry and some smokiness on the palate. This will rock in about 5 years! (90 pts.)

Terra Vina Wines
Poured by Karl & Carol Dinger

• 2007 Terra Vina Sangiovese - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
  Medium red color. Cherry and pepper on the nose. Spicy and sweet, like cherry candy, in the mouth. I like the peppery aspect. (87 pts.)

Three Angels Wine
Poured by Ed Fus

• 2007 Three Angels Primitivo Coyote Canyon Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
  Lush red color, typical of a Zinfandel. Quite structured, especially compared to the Sangiovese and Barbera's we've been trying thusfar. Sweet cherries, with some earthiness or tobacco in there. (84 pts.)


• 2008 Three Angels Primitivo Coyote Canyon Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley, Walla Walla Valley
  Barrel sample. Showing well for being a barrel sample...but also showing a lot of tannins at this stage. Smoked meat/bacon (!) and sour cherries. (85 pts.)

Viento Wines
Poured by Rich Cushman

• 2005 Viento Sangiovese Cuvée Tuition - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
  Light red color. Nice berry and cherry flavors, but a short finish that left me wondering what happened. (86 pts.)


• 2005 Viento Barbera Lonesome Spring Ranch - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
  Raspberry and tobacco, slightly harsh though. Cloying on the finish, with a tannic bite. (84 pts.)

As always, my tasting notes are posted from CellarTracker.

A Taste of Two Rooks

Seeing as how Corvidae Wine Co., the new Owen Roe value label, made two different versions of their 2007 "Rook" red blend, I thought I'd get a bottle of each and taste them head-to-head. First, a little information about each wine, and then the tasting notes.

The Oregon blend was from 100% Southern Oregon fruit: 77% Cabernet Sauvignon from Ironbird Vineyard in the Applegate Valley AVA (also providing all of the fruit for the Owen Roe Ironbird Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon), as well as 15% Syrah and 8% Merlot from undisclosed vineyards in the Rogue Valley AVA. The resulting wine is 13.0% alcohol, and was bottled at Owen Roe's St. Paul, OR winery.

The Washington blend is 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Syrah and 28% Merlot, sourced from undisclosed vineyards in the Columbia Valley AVA (check out the Owen Roe Vineyards List to see the potential vineyards used), and bottled at Owen Roe's new Sunnyside, WA winery. Alcohol is at 14.3%, reflecting the higher brix of their Washington-sourced fruit. And now my tasting notes:

• 2007 Corvidae Wine Co. Rook Cabernet - Merlot - Syrah - USA, Oregon
  Color is a dark maroon with a bit of purple, just slightly lighter than the Washington wine. Nice fruity nose of blackberries with just a touch of plums and earth. Quite smooth in the mouth, although lacking a bit on the mid-palate...Seems somewhat thin there. Tastes of black fruit and some bittersweet chocolate, with Asian spices, following to a medium length finish. A very tasty blend, but seems like it needs something on the mid-palate. (90 pts.)


• 2007 Corvidae Wine Co. Rook Cabernet - Merlot - Syrah - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
  Color is darker than the Oregon wine, with more purple tones added to the maroon. On the nose, this wine is more sweet smelling, but needs some swirling to bring about the aromas. A touch of black pepper in there also. On the palate, this is much more full-bodied than the Oregon blend, with big blackberry fruit and black pepper notes. Mid-palate is nicely rounded and not as thin as the Oregon blend. The wine ends with a long finish of berry and dark chocolate. Much more sweetness in the fruit also. I definitely like the Washington blend more, although I think both wines will improve with 6-12 months of additional bottle age, but not much more than that. (92 pts.)

Tasting notes posted from CellarTracker

Zupan's Wine Tasting Event

STAG'S LEAP WINE CELLARS - Zupan's Burnside Market Wine Cellar, Portland, OR (7/21/2009)

Held in the basement wine cellar of Zupan's Burnside Market grocery store in Portland, and presented by a representative of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars. Too many people were invited, which made it extremely uncomfortable temperature-wise (they had to turn off the wine cellar cooler so we could hear the speaker), and the fact that most of the appetizer/food pairing course was snarfed up by attendees eating their dinner at this tasting. Show some class people! The wines:

• 2007 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Sauvignon Blanc - USA, California, Napa Valley
  Melon, pineapple and a touch of citrus. Very crisp with nice acidity. Refreshingly dry. A blend of 69% Sauvignon Blanc, 26% Sauvignon Musque, and 5% Semillon, aged 5.5 months in 4-5x used French oak. (85 pts.)


• 2007 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Chardonnay Karia - USA, California, Napa Valley
  Flavors of pears and apples, with a bit of oak. Not buttery at all. Quite crisp and acidic, with only 35% malolactic fermentation allowed. I prefer my Chardonnay a bit more buttery and smooth. 100% Chardonnay aged 8.5 months in 23% new French oak. (84 pts.)


• 2006 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Merlot - USA, California, Napa Valley
  While the nose shows red licorice and raspberry notes, the palate is all bitter cranberries, with just a touch of raspberry. A total let-down from the beautiful nose. 92% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 14 months in 52% new French oak. (83 pts.)


• 2006 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Artemis - USA, California, Napa Valley
  Nice nose of blackberry with some vanilla/oak as well. In the mouth, lots of blackberry fruit, but with a somewhat bitter, short finish, and lots of harsh, drying tannins. 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, aged 18 months in 33% new French oak. (87 pts.)


• 2005 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Fay - USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District
  Spicy nose of oak and cassis, with a touch of eucalyptus. Flavors of cassis, berry and green pepper. Light tannins, and a somewhat-bitter green finish. Much softer than the 06 Artemis (89 pts.)


• 2005 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon S.L.V. - USA, California, Napa Valley, Stags Leap District
  My Wine of the Night (since we were denied the Cask 23). Lots of creamy oak and vanilla, a leather play with some black pepper (or other spiciness) also. Very structured and powerful, but with the tannins starting to resolve nicely. This had been open much longer than the other wines (it was poured last), which may explain the lack of drying tannins. QPR is in the negative, as there are so many wines out there that surpass this, at half the price. Yes, it is good, but it is not $120 good. (91 pts.)

Even though the invite email and website stated we would get to taste the Cask 23 Cabernet, we were denied that privilege tonight. A major Disappointment, as Cask 23 was the only reason I bought a ticket in the first place. As usual, the tasting notes posted from Cellartracker.

I Walk The Vine

One of my good friends abandoned her good-paying corporate radio station job to jump into an entrepreneurial endeavor dealing with wine and wineries, called I Walk The Vine. She provides great wine-related t-shirts and such to wine shops and wineries everywhere. This weekend marks her first year "walking the vine", and she threw a party to celebrate that accomplishment. In an economy that is literally tanking more each day, she has been able to remain positive and march forward into the unknown. Yes, the economy is in the toilet. I know this first-hand, being laid off from my own Internet Marketing job back in March. Things SUCK right now. But she's still out there, making sales, getting people excited about Walking The Vine, and wearing the t-shirts. I have one myself, and my girlfriend has several. Great shirts. Last forever, great graphics, and, yes, they are wine related, which I love. So, yeah, I'm biased a bit. But you need one. Oh, yes, I think you do. At least check them out!

Anyway, back to my original thought process...there was an I Walk The Vine 1 Year Anniversary party tonight. Wine pairings with various cheeses, meats and nuts, along with many attendee-supplied wines as well. I personally brought a 2000 Gaja Pieve Santa Restituta "Sugarille" Brunello di Montalcino and a 2004 Cana's Feast Winery Ciel du Cheval Vineyard Nebbiolo. There were so many other great wines, including a 2006 Archery Summit Premier Cuvee Pinot Noir and a 2007 Patricia Green Pinot Noir. Just an amazing selection of great wines, and great friends to share them with. I couldn't ask for a better group to hang out with and drink wine with. And congratulations to Liz for her first year of business with I Walk The Vine!