Clarendelle 2009 Bordeaux Red Wine

Clarendelle 2009 Bordeaux Red Wine, $18.99, 89 points, poured nearly black with typical crushed black currant purple/red, but a flash of maroon parted ways with most Bordeaux red wines I've examined; Clarendelle also manifested a broadly transparent rim-ring.
Pleasant aromas of violets, cedar, and black currant were subtle.
Medium-plus body and smooth texture, carried good acidity, sweet luscious tannins with flavors of pomegranate, blackberries, mulberries, tobacco, savory notes, and juniper berry.
Finished well on the 13.5% alcohol, developing plum notes, rosemary, and spice.
Varietals were 79% Merlot, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7%Cabernet Franc.
A little commentary: As I researched this Bordeaux I found that most reviewers didn't really like this wine, but I loved it. Try it and let me know, and considering its reasonable price, you won't be spending hundreds of dollars, and it will be a challenge without pain.


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Black Stallion Napa Valley 2009 Chardonnay

Black Stallion Napa Valley 2009 Chardonnay, $17.99-$25.99, 88 points, poured molten gold trending almost honey colored.
The quick pour aromas were apple and flowers, but with air transitioned to mostly pear.
Medium-bodied with fair acidity and flavors of pome and apricot, tinged by oaky butter, vanilla, and caramel, were complex and silky.
Finished long on the trailing palate with a well integrated 13.5% alcohol and spice notes.

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Babich Marlborough 2013 Sauvignon Blanc

Babich Marlborough 2013 Sauvignon Blanc, $12.79-$15.99, 85 points, poured a polished gold color.
Strong smell of gooseberry with a hint of lemon was only okay for me.
Light crisp body carried good acidity, but the overwhelming flavor of gooseberry was, with only hints of grapefruit and lemon, too much for me. Not that it was undrinkable, but when not being a complement to my baked stuffed captain's cod, was just not that enjoyable.
Finished long on black pepper , ginger, and a well balanced 13% alcohol.




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242 San Bernabe 2013 Sauvignon Blanc (Noble Vines)

242 San Bernabe 2013 Sauvignon Blanc (Noble Vines), $9.89-$13.99, 87 points, had a lovely light brass color, fresh cut grass smell with a hint of gooseberry, light body which carried good acidity and flavors that mirrored the aromas, while a finish of tart citrus, lemon grass, with a bit of the 14.5% alcohol showing, and a hint of ginger climaxed another quality California Sauvignon Blanc.





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Kendall Jackson AVANT 2012 Red Wine

Kendall Jackson AVANT 2012 Red Wine, 
$11.99-$14.99, 88 points, poured an opaque purple/red with a clear rim-ring.
Aromatic cedar, clove, truffle, black cherry, toasty plum, and a gentle floral component were quite good.
Near full-bodied with fair acidity, mild tannin, and flavors that reflected the aromas.
Finished okay on the trailing palate with cardamom and white pepper spice notes, escalating plum, black cherry, and a well integrated 13.5% alcohol.
Varietals were 61% Merlot, 15% Syrah, 10% Malbec, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Carignane, 4% dollops of miscellaneous varietals.



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Fifty Shades of Grey 2011 Red Wine

Fifty Shades of Grey 2011 Red Wine, 
$14.99-$18.99, 89+ points, appeared deep ruby with a broad clear rim and leggy glass wall.
Smells of perfume, cedar, and black grape notes were quite good.
Full-bodied with an as advertised satin texture (almost decadent), good acidity, and ripe tannin.
Smoky black cherry, plum, grape-skin, and green coffee flavors were good.
Finished on the trailing palate, a bit astringent with drying tannin, hot spice notes, a well integrated 13.5% alcohol, and mint.
Varietals were Syrah and Petite Sirah .

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Chateau Montelena Calistoga 2008 Zinfandel Revisited

Chateau Montelena Calistoga 2008 Zinfandel, $22.94-$26.99, 87 points, is a Zinfandel I tasted almost four years ago with less than satisfactory results; a revisit is called for.
Pomegranate red trended cranberry in color with a thin clear rim at the leggy glass wall.
Aromatic strawberry and earth were quite pleasant.
Medium-bodied having fine, but mild tannin, with flavors of strawberry, blueberry, and pomegranate.
Finished fair on the trailing palate, easy, but accelerating spice notes, and a well balanced 14.7% alcohol.




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Las Rocas de San Alejandro Calatayud 2011 Garnacha

Las Rocas de San Alejandro Calatayud 2011 Garnacha, $9.99-$13.99, 87 points, poured ruby-red with a broad clear rim-ring.
Smells of violets, plum, mulberry, and an unusual apple wood were good.
Medium to medium-plus body carried good acidity, strident, but manageable tannin, with flavors of cola, flowers, black fruit, cardamom, and mint.
Finished well with accelerating heat (14.8% alcohol) and spice with spearmint which were quite good for a $10 red wine.

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Castelluccio Le More Di Romagna D.O.C 2011 Sangiovese

Castelluccio Le More Di Romagna D.O.C 2011 Sangiovese, $13.59-$15.99, 88 points, poured a lovely ruby with a flash of orange and a thin clear edge at the leggy glass wall.
Profuse aromas of black and red fruits with a hint of pine needles, cedar, and clove were outstanding.
Medium to medium-plus body carried crisp acidity, grainy fine tannins, with flavors of tart pomegranate, red cherry, mint, and plum notes.
Finished long on the trailing palate, anise, a well integrated 13.5% alcohol with a bit astringency.
Varietal was 100% Sangiovese.



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Stags' Leap Napa Valley 2012 Chardonnay

Stags' Leap Napa Valley 2012 Chardonnay, $29.99-$34.99, 93 points, appeared a polished gold color.
Smells of lemons, apples, sweet tangerine, and a hint of cherry blossoms were outstanding.
Near medium-bodied with exceptional acidity and flavors reflective of the aroma.
Finished very long on the trailing palate, escalating ginger and white pepper, a well integrated 14.1% alcohol, and the slightest note of spearmint.


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Shafer Red Shoulder Ranch 2009 Chardonnay

Shafer Red Shoulder Ranch 2009 Chardonnay, $38.24-$44.99, 93+ points, poured straw yellow.
Baked apple-pie and honeysuckle aromas were quiet, but pleasant.
Medium-bodied, crisp, good acidity, yet this is a luscious white wine, an easy drinking smooth textured white wine, and the simplicity of color and aroma is the last simple notes I will speak of.
A beautiful balance of vanilla, black pepper, grape, pome, melon, and honeysuckle dance with the long finish of ginger and warmth from the 14.9% alcohol.
My red wine drinking friends: If you need a white wine to change your mind, this would be the one!

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Ridge Three Valleys 2012 Zinfandel

Ridge Three Valleys 2012 Zinfandel, $22.49-$28.99, 89 points, poured nearly black throughout except for a bright ruby toward the glass wall with sheeting and a clear rim.
As for the aroma, Ridge almost without exception impresses, but this 2012 Three Valleys was profuse black currant and pomegranate which were just okay for me, though hints of roasted coffee and blackberry notes were good.
A very dry red wine with a medium trending medium-plus body, good acidity, firm and enduring tannin, plus good flavors of mulberry, blackberry, dried herbs, and licorice.
Finished moderately long on spice, plum, oak, and some heat from the 14.2% alcohol.
It's been some time since I tasted the 2006 Three Valleys, and the 2012 was much better, but it retains its dubious distinction of being my least favorite Ridge wine.
Paired nicely with my tostada.
Unlike the 2006, which was technically a red wine (74% Zinfandel), the 2012 was 82% Zinfandel, thus the Zinfandel pedigree.

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Tegernseerhof "Terrassen" Federspiel Wachau 2013 Riesling (Austria)

Tegernseerhof "Terrassen" Federspiel Wachau 2013 Riesling (Austria), $22.99, 89 points, was a light straw yellow.
Aromas of citrus, mostly hints of lemon and tangerine with melon and a subtle floral component were all good.
Light-bodied, dry, acidic, clean with wet stone minerality, and flavors reflective of the aromas made for a fine alchemy.
Finished okay with a well integrated 12.5% alcohol and the trailing palate.
I bought this Riesling at the Harvest Market in Bedford, NH.

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Château De Chantegrive 2009 Bordeaux Red Wine Revisited

Château De Chantegrive 2009 Bordeaux Red Wine, $26.08-$28.99, 90 points (wine evolves), poured core black with a clear rim while a lovely black cherry red was sandwiched between them.
Aromatic black currant and cedar with a light plum note grew on me.
Near full-bodied with good acidity, solid tannin, and flavors that reflected the aromas with the addition of Kahlua truffle which added depth to a very good red wine.
Finished on the trailing palate, a well integrated 13.5% alcohol, and hints of spicy oak.
Make no mistake, this is an enduring food lovers red wine, and more proof that 2009 made Bordeaux shine! Want to taste an entry-level Bordeaux? Give this one a try! Though more than two years ago I was less than enthralled with this Bordeaux, the aging process was illustrative to me!
Varietals were 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Merlot.

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Hogue Columbia Valley Winery Trio

Hogue Columbia Valley Winery Trio

were clearance wines priced from $8.10-$11.99.

Hogue Columbia Valley 2012 Chardonnay, $8.55-$11.99, 88 points, was between straw yellow and a bright brass color.
Orchard blossoms and a hint of apple on the nose were good if not dramatically indistinguishable.
Medium-bodied with fair-plus acidity and an already weakly distinguishable aroma character was true of the flavor profile as well, though notes of lemon, granny-smith apple, vanilla, and washed clinkers or iron were unobtrusive and an excellent companion to my fried center-cut pork chops. 
Finished well on the trailing palate, green melon, and a bit of the 13.5% alcohol. 

 

Hogue Columbia Valley 2012 Late Harvest Riesling,

 $8.10-$10.99, 86 points, was a deep straw yellow.
The nose began as lovely oriental blossoms and transitioned to cinnamon and petrol smells.
This off-dry trending slightly sweet Riesling had a medium body with fair to good acidity which carried tropical fruit notes and hints of rock-candy citrus behind a moderate petrol flavor.
Finished okay on the trailing palate, a well integrated 12% alcohol, and soft white pepper notes. 
 

 

Hogue Columbia Valley 2008 Merlot, $8.10-$10.99, 88 points, poured a deep maroon trending crushed blackberry toward the very broad transparent rim.

Lovely aromas of toasty black fruit and roses were very good.
Near full-bodied with fair acidity and grainy tannins that were more supportive than many-a-Northwestern Merlot I've had
Cola, licorice, blueberry, black currant, and savory flavors were excellent.
Finished a bit astringent, but finish well it did with escalating tannin, hints of black cherry, pomegranate, and a well integrated 13.9% alcohol.

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Cline Contra Costa County 2012 Mourvèdre Rosé (Tomorrow is Valentine's Day!)

Cline Contra Costa County 2012 Mourvèdre Rosé, $5.99-$14.99, 87+ points, shouts strawberry; strawberry in color (with copper tones), strawberry on the nose (with hints of watermelon and kiwi), and flavors dominated by, you guessed it, strawberry with watermelon and kiwi.
Light-bodied with fair acidity, quaff-ability, and overall delicious enough to pair beautifully with our Asian cuisine.
Finished okay on the trailing palate, a well integrated unobtrusive 13% alcohol, and a kiss of spice.
Though not as complex as the 2011 vintage, still a steal for $5.99, and possessing a décor gravitas (standing alongside those roses and boxes of candy, and I'll bet you've got a hug coming your way!).
Grapes derived from Ancient Vines Mourvèdre Rosé.




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Provenance Red Wine Napa Valley PWAVE 2011 Red Wine

Provenance Red Wine Napa Valley PWAVE 2011 Red Wine, $21.59-$38.99, 91+ points, appeared a deep burgundy red with flashes of orange and maroon toward a thin transparent rim-ring.
The nose was a very fine sea breeze with toasty plum and roasted coffee.
Full-bodied with good acidity and supportive, but mellow tannin gave a smooth and rewarding mouth-feel.
Flavors mirrored the nose and added hints of black licorice, mulberry, blackberry, and oak.
Finished on a well integrated 13.5% sweet-spot alcohol, dried cooking herbs, and easy spice notes.



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Grgich Hills Estate Grown Napa Valley 2012 Fumé Blanc (Still time for Valentine's Day)

Grgich Hills Estate Grown Napa Valley 2012 Fumé Blanc, $23.99-$29.99, 91 points, poured a glossy gold color trending gray at the glass shallows.
Smells of cantaloupe and gooseberry were okay.
Near medium-bodied with good acidity and a more lush texture than almost any other Sauvignon Blanc I've had suggested to me that this just might be the Chardonnay of Sauvignon Blanc wines.
Flavors of tangerine, honeydew melon, honey, a hint of grapefruit, and a floral component were complex and delicious.
Finished very long on the trailing palate, black pepper, ginger notes, and a well integrated 13.5% alcohol.

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Hayes Valley Central Coast 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon

 

Hayes Valley Central Coast 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon, $8.49-$12.99, 88 points, poured crushed black currant purple/red welling black and having a broad transparent rim at the leggy glass wall.

Aromatic nose hinted at mint and tobacco, with a more pronounced blackberry and black currant.

This Cab had a near full body with good acidity; the tannins were a bit astringent, firm, and persistent.

Flavors reflected the nose, but with licorice and plum notes.

Finished fair with pomegranate, oak, hot spice, and warmth from the 13.5% alcohol.

I've begun an interest in the etymology of wineries, and if that interests you too, here's a link to the name Hayes: Hayes in the house-of-names.com

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MUMM Napa Valley Brut Rosé: Valentine's Day anyone!

MUMM Napa Valley Brut Rosé, $16.99-$19.99, 92 points, poured into a soft massive head of foam (relatively large bubbles) which dissipated quickly, but a continuous eruption of hanging gleaming glass pearls persisted. Showing the colors of amber imbued with violet were stark and wonderful.
The aromas of gentle strawberry, pineapple, grapefruit, and toasted almonds, though pleasant, faded rapidly without resuscitation.
The light-plus body swirled in the glass with some viscosity.
Brut-dry rosé with mouth-watering acidity, stridently effervescent, very light tannin, and flavors of strawberry and watermelon made for an any-occasion and Omni pair-able libation; I had mine as an aperitif and as a dessert wine with pecan brownies.
Finished on a lingering palate with hints of the 12.5% alcohol, red cherry, and white pepper.


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Lee Family Farm Monterey 2013 Albarino

Lee Family Farm Monterey 2013 Albarino, $17.99, 90 points, was straw yellow.
The aroma was bright McIntosh apple.
Light-plus body carried good acidity and the most apple flavored non-apple wine I've ever tasted; there were hints of honeydew melon, apricot, and hazelnut.
Finished fine with spice and the noticeable 13.2% alcohol.


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