Richmond Wine Excursion

I have been delinquent in reviewing wines and hopefully this review will partially make up for that.  I also hope that this is the start of my getting back on track.  I've been tasting so many wines that I have quite a few to review.   

I had the opportunity to pour at the first annual Richmond Wine Excursion this past weekend (Friday, Oct. 28th and Saturday, October 29th).  This was open to on-premise and off-premise people in the trade and the public.  I'm sure the cold rainy weather kept a lot of people away, but the those that attended seemed to enjoy the tasting.  It gave me the chance to speak with so many wonderful  people.  I poured six wines from Chateau St. Jean, Sonoma, California.  All were very well received.  

Chateau St. Jean 2009 Fume Blanc ($16).  First let me say that this is one of my favorite wines.  When I need a change of pace from Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc, or when customers ask me for a wine recommendation and they are not interested in Chardonnay, this is what I turn to.    

A blend of 89% Sauvignon Blanc, 10% Semillion, and 1% Viognier, this is oak aged.  The aromas are a mild citrus and floral notes.  On your palate the flavors are citrus with a hint of apple.  Crisp and clean.  If you're looking for a nicely balanced wine that is easy to pair with food I highly recommend this.

Winemaker's Notes:  Vibrant aromas of fresh Asian pear, sweet citrus and jasmine blossom jump from the glass. The nose leads to a refreshing palate with distinct Fumé Blanc flavors of juicy fruit and floral notes. The addition of Semillion to the blend adds a sweet red apple flavor to this refreshing and crisp wine. The finish is long and clean with a lemon zest note.  

Chateau St. Jean 2008 Robert Young Vineyards Chardonnay ($28) is aged in French oak for 12 months.  This is a single vineyard Chardonnay (I do enjoy single vineyard wines). The aromas and flavor profile are true to the winemaker's notes.  I especially enjoyed the  honeysuckle and vanilla flavors with a hint of minerality.  There was a nice creaminess.  Nicely balanced.  Another wine easy to pair with food.   

Winemaker's Notes:  Fresh aromas of yellow stone fruit, lemon zest and hints of honeysuckle and vanilla introduce the nose of this single vineyard Chardonnay. A medium-bodied entry fills the mouth with notes of melon, clove and wet stone minerality and ends with a lasting lemon oil finish. The wine has a creamy texture with bright acidity, making this an excellent food wine.  

Chateau St. Jean 2009 Chardonnay ($16) is your classic Chardonnay.  Another nicely balanced wine.    

Winemaker's Notes:  Displays bright aromas of lemon cream, mango and notes of toasted hazelnut. This wine has a subtle elegance with a lingering finish.   

          In comparing the Robert Young Vineyard Chardonnay and the Sonoma Chardonnay, the latter has a little more oak on the palate.  Both very nice. 

Chateau St. Jean 2007 Merlot ($16) comes from various vineyards in Sonoma County - Sonoma Valley, Knights Valley, Alexander Valley, Carneros, Dry Creek, and Russian River Valley.  This has a marvelous cherry aroma.  The flavors of spice with a hint of chocolate were on my  palate.  Mild tannins. 

Winemaker's Notes:  Aromas of ripe blackberry fruit, black cherry, cola and sweet oak spice burst from the glass of this wine. The bright fruit characters carry over onto the palate and mingle with notes of cassis and chocolate, helped by a small amount of Malbec.  An elegant wine and a good value. 

Chateau St. Jean 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon ($16) is a classic Cabernet.  Mild tannins.  In all honesty, I was too busy enjoying the Cinq Cepages to pay much attention to this wine (or even the Merlot).  

Winemaker's Notes:  Bright aromas of blackberry, red currant, cassis and hints of cedar box are inviting on this Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine is concentrated and structured with a plush fruit core of dark berry fruit. The palate is round and full and with a lingering finish. 

Chateau St. Jean 2006 Cinq Cepages Cabernet Sauvignon ($67).  Cinq Cepage translates "Five Varieties".  This is a Bordeaux-style red blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot.  The aroma was blackberry and chocolate. The palate was  jammy with dark fruit, coffee, and earthiness.  Nicely balanced.  Lingering finish.  Mild tannins.  This wine was THE favorite at my table.  Many people had this wine before and were fans.  Highly recommend.  

Wine Enthusiast rated this 92 and Robert Parker a 90.  

Winemaker's Notes:  Cinq Cépages is the flagship wine of Chateau St. Jean. Each year, Winemaker Margo Van Staaveren selects fruit from the finest Bordeaux variety vineyards to craft a wine that showcases the best of Sonoma County. The primary grape sources for the 2006 vintage are Alexander Valley, Knights Valley and Sonoma Valley. The Alexander Valley grapes highlight bright berry with back notes of dried herbs, while the Sonoma Valley fruit is from our home vineyard – the St. Jean Estate Vineyard – and brings black and dense mountain fruit to the blend. The Knights Valley fruit adds boysenberry flavors and elegant tannins.   

This is a classic Cinq Cepages with signature notes of blackberry jam, red raspberry, milk chocolate and violet. The palate offers a rich, dark fruit density surrounded by well-structured tannins. Layers of generous black plum and fresh-picked blackberries combine with notes of black tea and mocha. This wine has beautiful oak integration and a lushness throughout that leads to a lingering finish with hints of blackberry and clove.

14 Hands Chardonnay and Four Vines Old Vine Cuvee Zinfandel

What ever cold/flu was going around, found it's way to me.  Now that I'm back on my feet and can taste wine it's back to reviewing.  I'm going to get back in the swing with two wines from my tasting this past weekend.  One was the customers favorite hands (no pun intended) down. 

14 Hands 2010 Chardonnay is from Washington State, sourcing the grapes from Horse Heaven Hills, Yakima Valley and other parts of Columbia Valley.  It is 89% Chardonnay blended with other aromatic varietals.   If you're looking for a creamy, buttery Chardonnay then this is it.  The flavor was a nice fruit and hint of spice with a little acidity.  Crisp and refreshing.  Customers enjoyed this wine and I sold out.   

I am a huge fan of 14 Hands wines.  If you try any of their varietals - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Riesling, Hot to Trot Red Blend, and Hot to Trot White Blend - you wont' be disappointed.

Winemaker's Notes:  Bright apple and floral aromas are complemented by light notes of vanilla and sweet butterscotch.  Juicy pear and apple flavors give way to subtle touches of toast and spice and ends with a soft finish. 

Four Vines 2009 Old Vine Cuvee Zinfandel is from California with the grapes from Medocino, Amador, Sonoma, Paso Robles, and Lodi.    The aroma was delightfully fruity.  However, on the palate there was something that "bit you back".   The mouthfeel was also a bit thin for a Zinfandel.  I did sell a few bottles of this wine, but for the most part customers did not enjoy.  I enjoy old vine Zinfandels, but this one did not measure up. 

Winemaker's Notes:  On the nose the wine has layers of berry fruit and anise aromas with hints of spice.  On the palate, blackberry and  spice plum fruit with a rich mouth feel.  Big and opulent on the mid palate with plenty of structure, trailing to a velvety toasted oak finish.

Cupcake Malbec and The Show Malbec

Today's review is a comparative tasting of Cupcake Malbec and The Show Malbec (both 2010 vintages).   They were enjoyable, but I do prefer one over the other.  However, you can't go wrong with either one. 

Cupcake 2010 Malbec  ($8 at Sam's Club) is from Mendoza, Argentina.  A great aroma of blackberry, coffee, and a hint of tobacco and leather.  The flavor was earthy and jammy.  Light tannins.  Nicely balanced.  Very enjoyable and a favorite of mine. 

Winemaker's Notes:  (Not available) 


The Show 2010 Malbec ($10 at Sam's Club) is from Mendoza, Argentina.    The aroma is blackberry, coffee, and smoke.  A nice flavor of spice, coffee and oak.  Light tannins. Nicely balanced.  Enjoyable.  (On May 12th I reviewed the 2009 vintage.  I much preferred 2009 over 2010.) 

Winemaker's Notes:  (Not available)

Bogle Chardonnay, 2010

Every October I await the release of Bogle Phantom.  I've never tasted any of Bogle's other varietals.  Last night while shopping at Fresh Market  Bogle Chardonnay and Bogle Merlot were on sale --- 2/$15 regularly $9.99.  I couldn't pass it up.  This was an affordable way to taste Bogle.  Now when Bogle Phantom hits the shelves I am familiar and more knowledgeable about their wines.  Already many customers tell me that  Bogle Petite Sirah is one of their favorites.  A wine I'll have to taste at a later date.  Anyway, I'll stop rambling.  Last night I opened the Chardonnay.  

Bogle 2010 Chardonnay is from California. The grapes are from two vineyards in Clarksburg and Monterey.  Fermentation is 50% in new American oak and sur-lie aging. Aged for 9 months in new American oak and undergoes partial malolactic fermentation.  This Chardonnay was quite nice and very enjoyable. It is a complex Chardonnay.  The winemaker's notes are spot on. The aroma was light fruit.  The flavor pear and apple with a hint of spice and butter. It finished with a light lemon tartness.  Slightly creamy.  Not overly acidic.  Not overpowering oak.  Nicely balanced.  This is now on my list of favorite Chardonnay's. 

Winemaker's Notes:  Aromas of fruit and spice mingle and tantalize the senses as you first encounter this Chardonnay. Green apples and juicy pears give way to elegant hints of Meyer lemons, but circle back to finish ripe and refreshing on the palate. Created by aging on the lees, the rich and velvety mouthfeel takes the fruit to another level, allowing the flavors to sink softly into spicy vanilla notes of American oak. The finish, graceful as a lemon meringue, perfectly balances the wine’s creaminess and acidity.

Kris Pinot Noir, 2009

A rule of thumb I have is, "don't buy a wine unless the varietal is indigenous to the region".  So, abiding by that I should not have purchased Kris Pinot Noir from Italy.  However, my wine rep told me how good it was, so I had to give it a try.  

Kris 2009 Pinot Noir ($13) has a medium ruby color.  The aroma is red fruit, spice and earthiness. A light red wine, the earthiness flavor overpowers any fruit on my palate.  It started out a little more acidic than I like, but after breathing that disappeared.  Not a bad wine, not a great wine.  I could take it or leave it. There are other Pinot Noirs I enjoy more.

Winemaker's Notes:  Dark ruby in color with purple hues, Kris Pinot Noir shows enticing aromas of ripe blackberries and red forest fruits. Flavors are dominated by red and black fruits, followed by subtle earthiness and firm, well-framed tannins. Pairs exceptionally well with Speck ham and Taleggio cheese, but is also a delicious accompaniment to more casual Italian meals like pasta, pizza, and sausages.

Entwine Wines - Pinot Grigio, Merlot, and Cabernet

I enjoy watching the Food Network.  I have cookbooks from Food Netowrk.  I even have some cookware from Food Network.  This past weekend my wine tasting was on Food Network's new wine - Entwine ($11.69). 

Food Network has partnered with Wente Vineyards (winemaker) in California to create Entwine. The wines are all sustainably farmed and harvested from select Estate vineyards in California.  Wente Vineyards is America’s oldest continuously operated family-owned winery and produces excellent wines.  Food Network has some great shows, good cookbooks and nice cookware.  Together they produce a very nice wine.    

My tasting on Friday was for three of their four wines.  All were very well received by customers.  

Entwine 2009 Pinot Grigio ... I'll give it to the Winemaker's Notes; it's spot on.  The flavor is green apple, honey, and a finish of lime.  Crisp and refreshing.  This is stainless steel aged. Of the three wines I tasted this was the customers favorite and mine. 

Winemaker's Notes:  Crisp and refreshing, layered with lime, honey and a hint of green apple.  entwines with salty cheeses, guacamole, Asian takeout, tropical fruit, white fish, ham, hors d’oeuvres and evenings on the porch. 

Entwine 2009 Merlot is aged for 12 months in American, French and Eastern European oak barrels..  The flavor was cherry and spice with mild tannins.  Nicely balanced.  Also a customer favorite and mine as well. 

Winemaker's Notes:  Perfectly ripe and juicy, like summer plums and cherries. entwines with salami, mac and cheese, pizza, meatloaf, tomato sauce, grilled pork, wild salmon and weeknight dinners. 

Entwine 2009 Cabernet is aged for 12 months in American, French, and Eastern European oak barrels.  Unfortunately, this one falls short on flavor.  Tannins are medium.   Not a customer favorite, nor mine. I'm thinking this wine is more for pairing with food (v. sipping on it's own).

Winemaker's Notes:  Rich, fruity, and herbaceous with a touch of raspberry and thyme. entwines with cheese straws, steak and potatoes, sautéed mushrooms, roasted carrots, blue cheese, creamed vegetables, burgers and backyard barbeques.

Murphy-Goode Chardonnay, 2008

Murphy-Goode 2008 Chardonnay is from Sonoma County, California and is aged in both French and American oak.  A nice crisp wine with flavors of green apple and lemon, finishing with spice.  Crisp and refreshing.  

Winemaker's Notes:  “The 2008 California Chardonnay was created with fruit from cool regions of California. The aromas and flavors of red apple, pear and tropical fruits have streaks of lemon creme with nice minerality and hints of vanilla. This is an approachable Chardonnay, yet richly textured, while retaining a balance of integrated fruit and sweet toasty oak.”