Project Paso Sauvignon Blanc, 2009

Project Paso 2009 Sauvignon Blanc is from Don Sebastiani & Son's, Paso Robles, California.  This is not 100% Sauvignon Blanc grape and is blended with a small amount of Semillion.  A nice, crisp wine with the typical Sauvignon Blanc profile of grapefruit, lemon and lime, but also having a hint of green apple.  An enjoyable and refreshing wine.  

Winemaker's Notes: "Our Project Paso Sauvignon Blanc has classic varietal aromas of lemon and grass, with hints of honey and lime from a small percentage of Semillon. A white grape often blended with Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon lends extra complexity and a hint of richness to the mouthfeel. On the palate, flavors of Meyer lemon marmalade come together with the citrus zing of key lime and grapefruit, mellowed by green apple notes in the background. Great structure and length come from the integrated acidity of this wine, and the transition from sweet fruit to zippy finish is fresh and crowd-pleasing. 

Pair this Paso Robles Sauvignon Blanc with summer salads and soft cheeses, such as a tuna nicoise salad or a goat cheese, watermelon, and greens salad with a citrus vinaigrette. Zesty goat cheese spread on a crust of fresh bread would also make a great match with the bright flavors of this Central Coast wine."

This wine also has the zork-cork.  Not a screw top, but no corkscrew required.  Just pull the tab and unwrap to the top of the cork.

Sofia Riesling, 2010

At one of my tastings this weekend I tasted out Sofia Riesling, 2010, Monterey County, Califorinia.  This is from Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Sonoma, California. A nice light, balanced semi-dry Riesling, the flavors were peach, minerality, a hint of honey and a finish of green apple.  I thought it was rather nice.  Customers enjoyed it and it sold very well.  Perfect for your Thanksgiving meal or holiday table.

Winemaker's Notes:  Our Sofia Riesling dazzles with full, ripe fruit flavors balanced by a vibrant acidity. Off-dry in style, this Riesling has an intoxicating perfume of pears and apricots, along with luscious flavors of white peaches, green apples, and a hint of pineapple.    

Customers loved the distinctive shaped bottle.  I must admit that I purchased this not just to enjoy the wine with my sushi, but because I wanted the bottle.  I've soaked off the label and put a pour  spout in it to use if for my olive oil.

Louis Jadot Beaujolais-Villages and Chateau des Jacques Moulin-a-Vent

With the holiday season just around the corner customers are beginning to ask about wines for Thanksgiving.  The Gamay grape is perfect for the holiday table; a light grape/wine with NO tannins (tannins are not in the DNA of the Gamay grape).  With that in mind, yet again, I had to compare two wines.  Both 100% Gamay, from France, from Louis Jadot.  One a Beaujolais-Villages.  The other Moulin-a-Vent.  So what's the difference in flavor? 

Louis Jadot 2009 Beaujolais-Villages ($14).  This was a medium garnet color.  The aroma was a hint of cherry with earthiness.  The flavor also a hint a cherry, earthy and a hint of oak.  A nice light wine.  Nicely balanced.  Definitely worthy of the holiday table and if you don't like tannins this is perfect for you.  I have done tastings on this wine and it sells very well.

Note:  I find it interesting that the Winemaker's Notes say, "gentle tannins" when tannins are not in the make-up of the Gamay grape. 

Winemaker's Notes:   Fresh red fruits on the nose with a hint of dark cherry.  Slightly spicy with a touch of grey pepper, liquorice and a touch of rose flower.  The whole wine is very well balanced with a nice acidity and the tannins presence on the finish invites food pairing with terrines, charcuteries, grilled red meat, white fish, cheese or simply as the sole wine of a meal. This wine is supposed to be drunk young although it can be kept easily up to 5 years or more. 

Chateau des Jacques 2009 Moulin-a-Vent ($18 Costco).  The color was a dark ruby red.  The aroma had a hint of cherry with earthiness and smoke.  The flavor was earthy and spice with a hint of oak.  Nicely Balanced.  A little fuller bodied than the Beaujolais-Village (with a richer aroma). This too would be nice for the holiday table.  Again, if you don't like tannins this is perfect for you.  

Winemaker's Notes:  Château des Jacques Moulin-à-Vent is a solidly structured, full-bodied, deep garnet wine which shows intense aromas of iris, roses, spices and ripe red fruit. The impressions on the palate are fleshy, velvety and tender, finishing with a firm acidic crispness and long, pronounced final. The wine approaches maturity in most vintages after six to ten years.

Red Diamond Chardonnay, 2009

Red Diamond is one of my favorite vineyards.  I enjoy their Merlot and Cabernet and recommend these to customers all the time.  I finally purchased a bottle of Chardonnay.  

Red Diamond 2009 Chardonnay is from Washington State.   The aroma is apple and herbacious, leading to flavors of green apple, vanilla and a hint of oak with a slight creaminess.  It has medium acidity and is nicely balanced with a long finish.  Perfect for pairing with food.  

Winemaker's Notes:  About 20% of the wine was barrel fermented in French and American oak; the other 80% in stainless steel. Aged for more than six months in those oak barrels, the result is a bigger and richer wine.  This Chardonnay is loaded with flavors of ripe honeydew melon  and spiced apples and finishes with a touch of creamy oak.

Wente Riverbank Rielsing, 2009

Wente 2009 Riverbank Riesling is from Arroyo Seco, Monterey, California.   A nice, crisp Riesling with a floral aroma.  The flavor is a creamy apple and spice.  A slight bite on the finish, but for the most part, nicely balanced. 

Winemaker's Notes:  This Riesling exhibits aromas of honeysuckle, lychee and fresh cut red apple, with a hint of nutmeg. The taste is crisp and fresh, delivering full, classic Riesling flavors of red apple and spice. The acid and the semi-sweetness are perfectly balanced for an excellent mouth feel. This intriguing wine is delightful as an aperitif or served with fruits, cheeses and a variety of light entrees.

Boglle Phantom, 2008

I had every intention of reviewing this wine the beginning of October when it was first released.  Well ... you can see how that worked out for me.  

Bogle Phantom is a single release wine coming into the stores every October.  It's release is anxiously awaited by customers and when the stores run out of their allotment it is not guaranteed they will get any back in (it all depends on what is available in the warehouse).  As soon as it hit the store shelves I purchased a bottle.  When I did tastings on it last month, it sold quite well. 

Bogle 2008 Phantom ($16) is from California.  It is a blend of 51% Old Vine Zinfandel (from Lodi and Amador), 47% Petite Sirah (from Clarksburg) and 2% Old Vine Mourvedre (from Amador) and aged 30 months in American oak.  The color is a rich dark purple.  The aroma is dark fruit, cassis, tobacco, chocolate, and cedar.  The flavors are earthy, spice, and chocolate.  A complex wine that is well balanced with mild tannins. 

Winemaker's Notes:  Phantom is back…Bogle’s apparition of fierce berry and sensual spice returnsto tease and tantalize. Notes of juicy boysenberry and black fruit are deepened with aromas of pipe tobacco and black pepper, while subtle hints of clove and vanilla softly envelop the palate. Intense and luscious, the rich character opens to reveal red fruit of spirited cranberries and raspberries. Over two years in 1, 2, and 3 year old America oak capture and concentrate the essence of the three unique varietals, creating yet another vivid and full-bodied red wine, impossible to ignore.

Though the wine is remarkable now, age in the bottle will only integrate these distinct varietals more. Welcome the winery ghost into your home again with this latest vintage, and enjoy with full-flavored and hearty meals…before it vanishes again.

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.