Evolution White Wine 14-Th. Edition

Sokol Blosser's Evolution White Wine (A blend of: Chardonnay, Riesling, Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc, Semillon, Muscat, Sylvaner, and Rivaner), $16.99-$20.99, 90 points, has a bright lemon/lime color, with a Kool aroma of honey, honeydew melon, cane-sugar, juicy white-grapes, and hints of lemon zest, Yowza! Tropical fruit seems to cover the flavor profile, but some just may find flavor hints of all that makes-up the aroma in this white wine. Fear-not, there's a nice balance in this light to medium bodied white wine, smooth, crisp (Usually one or the other), and finishes nicely on a more citrus note.




Paired beautifully with my Cod-fillet sandwich!





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Banfi BelnerO 2007 Red Wine

Banfi BelnerO 2007 Red Wine (Montalcino), $22.99-$37.99, 91 points, is mostly Sangiovese with traces of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
The color is garnet tapering to mauve with a clear-silver rim.
Having a complex nose of cherry, cooking spice, cedar, and hints of flowers and earth adds significantly to the wine's appeal.
A medium body carries mouth watering acids and a laid-back tannic presence. There is tons of red berries, cherry and raspberry, very tart and crisp. The juicy black and white pepper finishes this dry red wine nicely.
Commentary:
I liked this wine better than almost anyone else (WS 87 points), but I just dare you to taste this wine side-by-side with the Monte Antico Toscana 2006 red wine (WS 90 points I believe), and let me know what you think. I don't know why I like picking on the WS, but often enough they get under my grape-skin.


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Conterno Fantino 2006 Barbera D'Alba Vignota

Conterno Fantino 2006 Barbera D'Alba,
$26.77-$31.49, 90 points, trends from a core of purple to garnet in color.
The aroma is a complex and delightful spicy cedar box with clove, licorice, bakers chocolate, and alcohol (14%).
A medium plus body showed high acidity and moderate tannin, but carried a rich blend of cherry, plum, and blackberry fruit with a hint of coffee and licorice flavors.
The finish was a good juicy and spicy one.
We paired this with a homemade pizza, but this wine will go well with most pastas and or tomato based cuisine.
For those who are interested in the Vignota on the bottle (I am), I asked John from Tuscan Vines for some help:
"John, is Vignota a designated wine area of Italy similar to the AVA?"
"Vignota, in that case, would either be a proprietary name for the wine (like Insignia) in order to set it apart either quality wise or stylistically from C-F's other Barbera, or just as likely, the name of a specific vineyard. You probably got your hands on a single vineyard Barbera.
Thanks John!

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Cerulli Spinozzi Torre Migliori 2006 Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Colline Teramane

Cerulli Spinozzi (Winery) Torre Migliori (Vineyard) 2006 Montepulciano (Varietal) d'Abruzzo (Appellation) Colline Teramane (Sub zone), $12.74-$14.99, 89 points, had me quite conflicted, but true to my palate here's what I found: The color was darkest of ruby red without being opaque, with edges violet and a clear rim.
The aroma was light truffle with cherry notes.
A medium plus body carried  balanced acid/tannin with tart cherry and milder plum flavors.
Finished fair with cherry and spice.
Of all the dry red wines I've tasted from Italy, and that includes the five or six Pimativo wines (Zinfandel), this was the most "jammy" Zinfandel-like wine I've tasted, and was quite good alone or with my spicy spaghetti and meat sauce.



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Chill Out California 2010 Pinot Grigio

Chill Out California 2010 Pinot Grigio, $5.00-$6.99, 87 points, is a super market (Shaw's) isle-end sale item, and for five bucks I'm ostensibly foolish enough to grab one bottle of pinot grigio, make it their sweet red too.
This is another generic Pinot Grigio, rather one dimensional "easy" white wines without much comment, but the flavor is easy (Not as easy as the Due Torri), it is easier on my wallet, and it is refreshing. Both wines are an easy 12% alcohol .
Chill Out Pinot Grigio is the color of light lemon/lime with a tint of gold.
The aroma is a bit on the sour side of apple.
A light bodied white wine that carries a lively grapefruit flavor and a long ginger spice finish.




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Due Torri Delle Venezie 2010 Pinot Grigio

Due Torri Delle Venezie 2010 Pinot Grigio, $6.79-$10.99, 87 points, is an inexpensive, food friendly, refreshing, one dimensional white wine of Northwest Italy. I don't know about you, but the word that best describe this kind of wine is "Easy": easy to drink, easy on the descriptors, and unlike the Brunello Montalcino wines, it is easy on my wallet.
The color is light lemon/lime with a tint of gold.
The aroma is faint apple and kiwi.
The medium body is smooth and carries light flavors of pear and apple, but finishes long and okay with ginger spice.


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Tenuta LA FUGA 2006 Brunello di Montalcino

Tenuta LA FUGA 2006 Brunello di Montalcino, $49.99, 94 points, is another very drinkable and delicious wine  from Montalcino, Italy.
This wine has the color of pomegranate, dark at the core with a very large transparent rim.
The nose is complex with the aroma of fresh bread, earth, strawberry, black cherry, damson plum, with hints of nutmeg.
A medium bodied very dry red wine with firm, but not unpleasant tannin, carries a balanced and flavorful array of black fruits, cherry, grape skin, and traces of cinnamon.
Finishing long and strong on the tannin, tart cherry, and spice.


Synchronous palates rally around wines like this, and I wasn't alone in the great enjoyment we had drinking this special libation. 
Let me just remind you that this wine is very much like the Ciacci Piccolomini d' ARAGONA 2005 Brunello di Montalcino, 
and my palate enjoys this style of wine, but if you are looking for great complexity (Excluding the bouquet), this is not that wine. Cellar Tracker has an average score of 91.5 with 2 reviews. Thus I leave with some semblance of balance.
For those interested in the food accompaniment (The wine came first), below is a picture of my son's handiwork (Tenderloin with Gruyere cheese, bacon mash potatoes, and sauteed broccoli with a Chipotle sauce). Wow! Perfetto!

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Querceto 2004 Chianti Classico Reserva

Querceto 2004 Chianti Classico Reserva, $11.99-$24.99, 88 points, has a typical Bordeaux purple color, and the nose is mute to flat with just a hint of plum and some cooking spice.
The acidity (noticeable)is typical for a Chianti, and the medium body carries juicy black fruit, and finishes with violets and lavender, but with some bitterness.
This wine will be excellent with typical Italian cuisine, and is an okay value at the low price point.



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Dry Creek 2010 Sonoma Fumé Blanc

Dry Creek 2010 Fumé Blanc Sonoma County Sauvignon Blanc, $11.99-$13.99, 88 points, has the clearest of color with just a single shade of lemon yellow to distinguish it from mineral water.
The aroma is a sweet lemon zest with faint hints of tangerine. The light to medium body carries a refreshingly crisp and tart lemon/lime flavor, but the texture and its mineral qualities never let you forget that 13.5% of what you are drinking is alcohol. The fair finish is a juicy reminder of what I just tasted.
I paired this wine satisfactorily with fried wild caught  Atlantic Haddock.
This white wine will be enjoyed by everyone, not too dry and definitely not too sweet, but the flavor, though reminiscent of Sauvignon Blanc wines in general (Without the cut grass), is pretty much cut and 'dry', but delicious. 

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BearBoat Sonoma County California 2008 Pinot Gris

BearBoat Sonoma County California 2008 Pinot Gris, $6.99-$16.99, 88 points, is another nice (Sorry, I know the word nice bothers some of you, but get over it.) wine from BearBoat.
I bought this wine last summer at the Derry, NH liquor store, and I'm am not sure if this wine is still available.
That being said: find it!
Golden color, warm aroma of honeydew melon with hints of lichee and Granny Smith apples all find their way onto your palate on a light to medium body, crisp and refreshing as a good white wine on a hot day should be. The finish is tangy with a hint of apricot.
Pinot Gris/Grigio should be drunk "young", but I doubt that this wine has suffered from its bottle time. At any rate, should I see this wine's latest bottling, I'll be buying.
Man, for $6.99 you couldn't possibly go wrong.
BearBoat Pinot Gris has plenty of food friendly acidity, but I just sipped it by itself.



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Gabbiano 2007 Chianti Classico

Gabbiano 2007 Chianti Classico, $11.99-$14.99, 88 points, began uncomfortably with a burnt rubber aroma which settled down with some air; the end result was a fair aroma of an off red cherry and cooking spice.
The color is garnet to ruby.
A medium body carries solid acids and tannin, with flavors of red cherry and strawberry with coffee notes. The finish is smooth and juicy with some red pepper.
Now, may the Italian wine expert please stand up and tell me why the bottle does not say Castello on it? Could it be the wine was made outside the castle? Ha!


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Ciacci Piccolomini d' ARAGONA 2005 Brunello di Montalcino

Ciacci Piccolomini d' ARAGONA 2005 Brunello di Montalcino $39.09-$45.99, 94 points, is first and foremost a very delicious dry red wine. John from Tuscan Vines remembers this wine as "rustic", which is a rather difficult descriptor to pin-down, but Doc-vino gives it a try. If by rustic John means accessible, the Ciacci Piccolomini d' ARAGONA 2005 Brunello di Montalcino is all of that, and I would say this wine has no rough edges. Ciacci Piccolomini d' ARAGONA 2005 Brunello di Montalcino reminds me of Moroccan leather, is balanced and beautiful, but not overly complex and not a particularly "cerebral" wine. 
Garnet to cranberry in color throughout, and having a cold aroma of chocolate pudding with hints of java, being followed with a pure delight of flavors including all within its aroma and mild lingonberry jam as well. The meduim body carries a long finish of spice (Ethan says: Chipotle and Cardamon). 
This wine enhanced my Neapolitan pizza, and my Philly cheese-steak sub, but the chocolate pairing (Milk and Dark) is out of this world.
At $39.09, I consider this to be a Very Good Buy.  





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Wine and Dogs, Sons and Daughters: The Wonder of Sentiment

Wine and Dogs, Sons and Daughters: The Wonder of Sentiment has come to my attention lately, with  "our" appreciation of just how important these things are in our lives as we now hold onto memories. My son is grown and on his own, and our white setter doesn't walk much better than I do (about 85 years old in dog age) and the more black setter is now gone.

I'm glad I bothered to take the pictures.

I suppose that all those mountains took their toll on the setters as much as it did on me. Good times!

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Rodney Strong Russian River 2009 Pinot Noir

Rodney Strong Russian River 2009 Pinot Noir, $16.99-$22.99, 90 points, is a bright ruby color throughout with a clear rim.
There is only a faint aroma of spice, cedar, and chocolate.
A light to medium body (Almost like a light zinfandel in style) carries a delicious flavor of cherry cola and strawberry, and finishes well with white pepper. There is good acidity, but the tannin as well as the 13.5% alcohol is unnoticeable.  
This is the last of the Rodney Strong wines I could find for the big monthly discount from the NHLS.
Overall Rodney Strong has shown that it produces a fine line-up of quality wines, and at the 15% discount you hardly could go wrong buying their wines.


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Petit Ken Forrester 2011 Chenin Blanc

South Africa's
Petit Ken Forrester 2011 Chenin Blanc, 
$8.49-$11.99, 87 points, is another value white wine from South Africa where more Chenin Blanc is grown than in France from whence comes the grape.
I don't drink wine because it is from conscientious producers, but that is a satisfying plus, and Ken Forrester Winery proclaims that as their note-worthy wine making policy. Ken-Forrester-wines-Home page, go to "About" for details.
To the wine: often apple is suppose to be the fruit offering in Chenin Blanc, but in this mineral clear wine I could only smell and taste honey dew melon. Certainly others will find much more than I could, but let me just say that the flavor carried on this medium bodied white wine was quite good and had plenty of acidity to pair with my pizza.
The finish was fairly long on ginger spice and just a hint of effervescence.

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Michael-David Seven Heavenly 2009 Chardonnay

Michael-David Lodi Seven Heavenly 2009 Chardonnay, $13.99-$15.99, 86 points, has a very bright (cold) aroma of lemon/lime and oaky vanilla which carries over to the palate with hints of butterscotch and the oaky vanilla becoming too dominant for my taste.
The medium body is smooth and finishes nicely with spice.
The 14.5 alcohol is nearly unnoticeable.
I've read many reviews on this wine, none of which I can remember except to say that they were all good, but this wine, as with the Chateau St. Jean 2007 Reserve Chardonnay and the Beringer Private Reserve 2008 Chardonnay isn't a buy from me, unless you like very toasty vanilla, and butterscotch (The preference element needs to be considered).





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Rodney Strong Alexander Valley 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon

Rodney Strong Sonoma County Alexander Valley 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon, $22.09-$29.99, 91 points, may just be the best of the Rodney Strong wines I've tasted, but because this Cabernet maybe more like a Zinfandel than their Knotty Pines Zinfandel, my disclaimer is: if you're looking for a full bodied ultra rich 91 point Cabernet this isn't it, but it is a delicious medium bodied wine that carries a mouth watering acidity and smooth tannin with flavors of light blueberry, licorice, and plum. The Rodney  Strong Cabernet finishes long and strong on spice that more than competes with their Zin.
The color is Burgundy throughout with a large (Expected) transparent rim, and the aroma is a minty cedar with sweet cooking spice.





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Grgich Hills Napa Valley 2007 Zinfandel

Grigich Hills Estate Grown Napa Valley 2007 Zinfandel, $30-$35, 92 points, has a reticent but lovely aroma with sweet cooking spice and some floral nature.
The color is ruby to garnet.
Having a medium body with some sediment (You could decant), this wine is way different than most Zinfandel wines: it is tame like a cat, ready to pounce, it is smooth and quite drinkable, but complex, multifaceted, and balanced; there is to me, unlike other reviewers, boysenberry, black raspberry, and Asian spice.
The finish is white pepper, it is fair to long and it is so pleasant.
Again, this is a pricey wine, but every once in a while. . .
This bottle of wine has been around for some time, and for some reason is my most  photographed bottle of wine.
Paired beautifully with a "Leg of Lamb" and Feta cheese.


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Seghesio Sonoma 2010 Zinfandel

Seghesio Sonoma 2010 Zinfandel, $18.69-$23.99, 91 points, begins with dark purple and ruby hues. The aroma starts as a spicy potpourri, but settles down with air. The flavor is very ripe and juicy blueberry and blackberries with hints of damson plum. The almost full body is rich and racy and finishes strong with black and white pepper with hints of cayenne. The one near fault I had is it is just a touch green, but it may just need a year or two in the bottle. 
Seghesio is a very consistently well made wine and is available almost every where; in my experience Seghesio is always a value Zinfandel, even though the price is up two or three dollars.
Being an "earth friendly" (NHLS) wine gives a great incentive to buy the six bottles now for that barbecue later; your family and friends will be impressed!

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Three Saints 2008 Chardonnay

Three Saints Santa Barbara County 2008 Chardonnay,
$12.60-$17.00, 90 points, has a lemon/lime color, with aromas of blooming orchards, melon, with hints of lemon zest.
The nearly full body carries flavors of indiscernible melon with grapefruit notes that were just noticeable. Three Saints has great fineness, fresh and satisfying.
The finish is fair on vanilla spice. and warmth (14.1% alcohol).


Three Saints was bought at the Londonderry Hannaford's super market.


Saint number 1: Sophie Scholl
Saint number 2: The Ten Boom Family
Saint number 3: C.S. Lewis


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Rodney Strong Sonoma County 2010 Chardonnay

Rodney Strong Sonoma County 2010 Chardonnay, $11.04-$14.99, 88 points, is a very bright, but faint lime color.
Gentle melon and lichee nut with hints of citrus make up the good aroma.
A light to medium body with fair acidity carries hints of pleasant melon and muted tart citrus, and a fair, but faint finish of tangerine.

The number of Rodney Strong wines that accounts for a smart six bottle "earth friendly" 15% off list of wines, builds toward a highly recommend collection of good and inexpensive wines.



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Rodney Strong Northern Sonoma Knotty Vines 2009 Zinfandel

Rodney Strong Northern Sonoma Knotty Vines 2009 Zinfandel, $16.14-$21.99, 86 points, has a strawberry to ruby color which is quite clear throughout. The aroma is tart cherry pie and sweet spice. A medium body carries lots of juicy cherry and plum, but it is the fair finish of spice and a fair price that give this wine a buy signal from me. The 2009 Knotty Vines is a bit sweet, but does make your mouth water. This wine is a bit on the syrupy side and didn't pair very well with my T-bone steak, but was okay with a broccoli and turkey casserole. The next day this Zin paired fine with a Meatball sub and provolone. 





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Rodney Strong Sonoma County Chalk Hill 2010 Chardonnay

Rodney Strong Sonoma County Chalk Hill 2010 Chardonnay $16.14-$21.99, 89 points, has the color of lemon/lime, the nose is melon with some bright citrus, the light to medium body has an oak-spice quality, and the flavor is melon and tart apple. The finish shows hints of vanilla.
This is a nice wine, and at $16.14 a great value: buying Rodney Strong wines now gets easier at the NHLS's 15% off six bottles of "Green" wine. I can now recommend 3 bottles of the 2010 Sauvignon Blanc at $33.12 and 3 bottles of the 2010 Rodney Strong Chalk Hill Chardonnay at $48.42 (About as much as one bottle of Nickle and Nickle Far Niente Chardonnay) , which equals 6 bottles of very good white wine for only $81.54; nearly a tank of gas! If variety is important to you, then my review of the Rodney Strong Zinfandel is on the way.

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Robert Mondavi Napa Valley 2008 Merlot

Robert Mondavi Napa Valley 2008 Merlot, $15.29-$22.99, 90 points, is what I had hoped for with the Rodney Strong Merlot. The color is ruby red trailing violet, transparent rim, but opaque at the core.
The aroma is a more subdued, yet pronounced cedar with sweet cooking spice.
The medium body carries a fine florality that is near perfectly 'cut' with noticeable acids and firm tannin. Other flavors are blackberry and boysenberry with licorice late palate, and finishing long on spice and a hint of menthol.
This wine evolves with a deepening complexity as it breathes, and the longer I held my glass the more this Merlot appealed to me.

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Rodney Strong Sonoma County 2008 Merlot: You Win some, You . . .

Rodney Strong Sonoma County 2008 Merlot, $7.64-$19.99, 84 points, began with a consistent ruby color and a transparent rim. A bombastic, unpleasant aroma of floral-cedar, clove, and vegetation smacked me in the face. Though the mouth-feel was smooth, round, and juicy, the flavor was way too floral for me, and the medium-plus body carried a syrupy flavor into the finish; neither Ethan nor I even finished our glass.







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Rodney Strong Charlotte's Home Northern Sonoma 2010 Sauvignon Blanc

Rodney Strong Charlotte's Home Northern Sonoma 2010 Sauvignon Blanc, $11.04-$14.99, 90 points, is not like any Sauv-Blanc I've tasted! This wine is all about melon, with hints of banana and cantaloupe, but no grass, no cat pee, not even lemon or grapefruit, but it is sweet without being cloying, it is delicious without being complex, and it paired nicely with almost everything, including a Swiss burger. I wouldn't be shy in serving this wine at a barbecue, only expect to go through copious quantities.
The color is very clear with gold notes, the aroma is melon and lichee, the body is light to medium, and the finish is fair on ginger spice. 
If you like white wine, cold or warmer, if you like melon verses citrus, then this is a white wine for you.




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Rodney Strong Winery

  For those who like controversy, I'm not one of them, this piece by Alder at Vinography and the 49 comments gathered at the end of his great article, has long got my attention, but on this blog I'm mostly concerned with the wine. So, as to not leave you in the dark, I've linked below the article for those who might be interested in the "rules" governing blogger's reviews and wineries; I have not received any wines and have not had the occasion to sign such a statement or contract, but as I've often reviewed several wines from wineries as White Hall Lane, Clayhouse, and others.
  Now that I'm preparing to taste a number of Rodney Strong wines, I thought I might prepare my readers.
The occasion is NHLS's 15% off of "Green wine" sales. 
I've reviewed some of Rodney Strong's wines in the past, and have found them well worth the money, in fact I was still able to buy their Merlot, this vintage is the 2008, for an unbelievable $7.64! If this Merlot is anything like their 2007, it is stock-up-time my friends.

Vinography "utter stupidity of the FTC

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Clayhouse Paso Robles 2009 Sauvignon Blanc

 

 

Clayhouse Paso Robles 2009 Sauvignon Blanc, $13.99-$17.99, 88 points, is a wine that needs to temperature-mature, it needs to be tasted cold and then handled for a while as the warmer it gets the better it gets. I like my Sauv-Blancs cold, but what you get with the Clayhouse is a sipper of a white wine, a medium body, mineral-water clear, a nose full of lemon/lime, pink grapefruit, and kiwi, but there's a bit of mustiness which is not altogether bothersome. The flavor is the aroma, but there's a nuttiness and some tangerine with a hint of lichee, and the finish is a nice ginger spice.


I paired this Sauv-Blanc with a medley of seafood.
I was not blown-over by this wine, but I wasn't disappointed either.


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