Château Patris Saint Émilion Grand Cru 2009 Bordeaux

Château Patris Saint Émilion Grand Cru 2009 Bordeaux, $32.84-$36.49, 92 points, appears as crushed black fruit, opaque at the core trending black currant red with a clear rim.
Picture yourself on the beach with a cedar sawmill cutting boards and making mulch just behind you; that is the aroma of this wine: sea breeze and cedar!
A not too tart cranberry/pomegranate with a juicy perfumed red and black berry flavor profile build on an acidic, mouth puckering tannin, and a medium-plus body; however with some air there is a transition to plum notes.
The finish carries the palate deep into an ascending spicy conclusion with hints of mint and anise.

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New Hampshire's Lakes Region
 

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Fess Parker Santa Barbara County 2008 Syrah

Fess Parker Santa Barbara County 2008 Syrah, $20.99-$22.99, 89 points, begins in the glass black at the core and trending purple/red and terminating with a clear rim.
Hints of toasty black fruit and sweet cooking spice are undistinguished, but smells of turned earth are rich.
The Full body wine has moderate acidity and tannin that carries a smooth rich blend of plum, blueberry, and boysenberry, but there are hints of licorice and violets toward the late palate.
Finishing with a mild though persistent black and white pepper spice wraps-up a food friendly (Greek salad and pepperoni pizza) big red wine.

Some of my viewers have enjoyed the scenes of New Hampshire, so on occasion I'll drop-in an original picture or two just to keep the theme of NH in the spotlight.

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Qupé Central Coast 2010 Syrah

Qupé Central Coast 2010 Syrah $17.09-$19.99, 87 points, begins purple/red trending orange with a transparent rim.
The near mute nose struggled to release a hint of red cherry and subtle cooking spice, but don't look for anything like a bouquet here.
Medium bodied (just) red wine with bright acidity and mild tannin; good flavor of cherry and boysenberry, though a bit thin, is without anything ill flavored.
The finish, though white pepper spicy is a bit weak and truncated.
Now, you'll be skeptical, I like this wine! Straight forward red table wine without any heavy interference to my rare rib-eye, butternut squash, and gravy mashed potatoes, but a good and silky complement to my meal.
You'll have to be the judge if $17.09 was too much to pay, but I think not; $20,00 is another matter!

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Conundrum 2011 White Wine

Conundrum 2011 White Wine, $17.09-$21.99, 90 points, is just that, a conundrum, a cryptic cacophony of confounding white wines that somehow converges to bring Riesling white and Chardonnay gold into the eye of the beholder, even as it does the aromas of sweet honeyed-melon and cantaloupe, hints of citrus and marzipan all confused and handed-down throughout the palate and into a finish of ginger.
The near medium body smoothly carries good acidity and food friendliness (I served this wine with filet of sole), toward it's conclusion of chameleon-like complexity.
This is not your crisp Sauvignon Blanc gender of a white wine, but Conundrum successfully pieces together a profound potable perplexity of palatable flavors.
There is a restaurant named the Library, and I tend to think that this bottle's label would fit the décor perfectly.

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Layer Cake 2010 Primitivo

Layer Cake 2010 Primitivo, $12.95-$17.99, 89 points, begins near black currant red, verses the more ruby red of say the Rodney Strong 2010 Zinfandel, and of course retains a clear rim.
Though the aroma struggles to impress, there is some lovely sweet red cherry and hints of cooking spice, but it is subtle.
More heavily bodied (as I remember it) than the 2007 vintage, but the acidity is bright and the tannin mild.
Flavors of licorice, cherry, and plum are fruity with a smooth texture, but a hint of violets transitions with a fair amount of spice carrying onto the finish.
Those who are often overwhelmed by typical California Zinfandel will find this a tame version, up to 3% less alcohol (13,5%), less fruit-forward, and just maybe more broadly pair-able.


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Rodney Strong Knotty Vines Sonoma County 2010 Zinfandel

Rodney Strong Knotty Vines Sonoma County 2010 Zinfandel, $16.99-$22.99, 90 points, is quickened with a dense ruby red toward a Shiraz purple and a clear rim.
A rich aroma of cedar and sweet cooking spice in a matrix of profuse bramble berry black fruit is quite pleasant.
With good acidity and fair tannin a near full body carries smooth and enduring flavors of tomato and spice, blackberries and earthy herbs that traverse into a moderate finish with a touch of heat (15.5% alcohol).
I've come to trust that Knotty Vines produces a "naughty" spicy, smooth, and pairable red wine.
This is an excellent Quality, Price, Ratio Zinfandel (QPR)!







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Sogno Columbia Valley 2007 Cabernet Franc

Sogno Columbia Valley 2007 Cabernet Franc
$22.99, 89 points, appears Bordeaux red with black currant and crushed blackberry with a clear rim.
Floral red cherry and earth dominate the aroma, but hints of cedar and sweet spice are a subconscious undercurrent.
Nearly full bodied, moderately acidic and smooth tannin, this is a big red wine, it is powerful with the aromatic flavors, heat (15.5% alcohol) and spice accelerate throughout the very long finish; along with that spice is a touch of menthol and wood.
This is not a straight Cab-Franc, but with dollops of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon adding roundness and complexity.
With only 580 cases produced, I feel fortunate have stumbled upon this wine at Lucia' Bodega in Windham.





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