Wines Tasted, May 20, 2010

ForeFront by Pine Ridge - Cabernet Sauvignon - Napa Valley - 2008 - (Modern, Drinker) - $24 - ForeFront is a value priced line of wines from the established Pine Ridge Vineyards in Napa's Stags Leap District.  With this vintage of Cabernet they blend in Syrah from outside of Napa sources (9% San Louis Obisbo County and 7% Lake County) to balance an Estate driven base of Bordeaux varietals.  The wine has seen the classic Pine Ridge treatment in French bariques for 16 months, which has left the nearly opaque ruby/black wine and its dark ruby rim with a nose of: blackberry, black cherry and black plum fruit as well as coffee bean, light vannillin and dark floral notes.  The palate continues with ripe dark fruits and a slightly floral note in the mouth.  This 2008 is full bodied, moderately high in tannin and of medium+ length.  Drink from early 2011 to 2018.

 

Araujo Estate - Eisele Vineyard - Napa Valley - Syrah - 2004 - (Modern Wine, Ager, Showpiece) - $135 - My first experience with this wine and it was quite an evening. OK, get ready for the most expensive Syrah in Napa (Colgin?). 

"My Lord, are you sure this isn't a young Howell Mountain Cabernet?"  That was my impression on this young, young, young Monster of a wine.  Black as night with a deep purple/garnet rim, opaque and of high concentration and viscosity.  A nose of licorice, ouzo, spice, pepper, blueberry liquor and berry jam.  On the palette it was: "Angry at us for opening it, hard to drink since it was so overwhelming with tannin, Mad at us, full of cinnamon stick, like liquid licorice, finished with blackberry liquor and mineral"

A wine that needed 10 more years in the cellar before we should revisit.

2006-Ch. Paradis-Cote d'Aix en Provence-red wine-(Modern)-$19 - 14.5% alc, a blend of Cabernet, Syrah and Grenache. Black/ruby color, with a nose of licorice, minerals, violets and chocolate over blackberry, sweet black cherry and plum fruits. Fully tannic and very Earthy while at the same time high in alcohol and with sweet-ripe fruit. Very much a new world style.
We had roast chicken sandwiches on freshly baked rolls with melted Cheddar.

October 30, 2008 - Wines Tasted

Below are my notes from multiple tastings of Alpha-Omega Winery's best wines. Alpha-Omega lies in Rutherford off 29 in the former Quail Ridge location. A Face lift and more assure us that the former tenants are long forgotten. A great place to relax and enjoy a bottle on the terrace.

Alpha Omega - Syrah - 2007 - Napa Valley - $? - (Modern, Food Wine, Drink Now) - Black berry, black and red currant, black raspberry, light pepper, graham, cinnamon & sweet tea aromas flow rapidly from the glass and transition quickly. Raspberry, red berry, juniper, and sandal wood mesh on the palette with moderate tannin as well as moderate plus acidity. A good food wine that appears and opens brooding in typical Syrah fashion, but reveals a bright almost Grenache like wine later. We had roast striped bass over greens and toasted fresh made tortillas.

Alpha Omega - Proprietary Red - 2005 - $74 - Napa Valley - (Modern, Ager, Drink Now, Stand Alone) - My favorite of the AO line up of wines, and tasted multiple times from barrel to bottle. Caramel, mocha, sweet clove and florals begin the trek through beautiful red and black plum that lies in total harmony with the wood. Hits its high note in the mouth which tells of red and black berries, cherries, currant and sweet ripe round and sexy tannins...like silk and satin in the mouth. Moderate tannins and moderate but well balanced acidity. I just love this wine! A blend of 69% Cab and 31% Merlot. "I recommend not buying this so there is more for me..."

Alpha Omega - Chardonnay - 2005 - $38 - Napa Valley - (Modern, Food Wine) - Chardonnays seldom get the nod from me, but when a wine comes off this well made and balanced, I can't resist. A partially Malo-lactic(30%) and barrel fermented(70%) wine which shows restraint in winemaking. Leesy-apple, lemon peel, light almond toast, and sheer mineral which is often lacking in a Napa chardonnay. Light and airy on the entry making it a good choice with food, yet smoky and dense through the moderately high acid finish. I like this wine for it's more Burgundian framework. I'd recommend: Seared Scallops with Caramelized Shallots, Grilled Shrimp with Tarragon, Chervil & Lemon or Roast Chicken Breast on the Bone with Lemon Thyme.

August 29, 2008 Wines Tasted

For dinner this night, I cooked up some venison loin steaks, hen of the woods mushrooms, roasted squash and eggplant and finished it with a veal stock based pan sauce with concasse of tomato. I allowed Joe to pick the wine from my collection to pair with dinner. He selected the Foxen to taste head-to-head with his White Cottage. Three out of Four picked the White Cottage. I was the odd man out.
When asking, "What wine is better?", one must ask one's self, "Better alone, better example of the grape, better with food, etc...?
I felt the Foxen was the better wine overall, but the White Cottage was lower in alcohol and easier and more fun to drink. So, you tell me. What makes one wine "better" than another.

Foxen Vineyards - Tempusquet Vineyard - Syrah - Santa Maria - 2005 - $45 - (Modern, Ager) - Black plum, meat, baked beans, cedar, coconut, sawdust, candied red apple, and a close to the Earth note in the bouquet. The palette exposes: high alcohol(15.2%) typical of the region, raspberry, plum, black mission fig, cedar plank, high acidity and high tannin, block-o-chocolate, red apple skin, and Luden's Cough Drops. A big brash syrah that isn't for summer sippin...
Best from 2010 to 2013.

White Cottage - Syrah - Contra Costa - 2005 - $30 - (Modern, Food Wine, Easy Drinker) - Opens with caramel, light cafe latte, red cherry, currant, red plum, red raspberry, perfumy and floral which includes both white and red flowers. In the mouth it shows a light tartness of early picked bluberries, raspberries, cool red plums, menthol, red apple, moderatly low tannin but moderatly high acid. With light to neutral oak this wine comes off as quaffable(13.8%) and easy to like. Drink it now.