Gourmet Raft-up 2009

Peju Rose of Syrah 2007
Napa, California
Light cherry, melon, other berries and dusty aromas. Dry style of rose, light body. Brilliant red-orange color. Light flavors that mimic the aromas. Paired with smoked salmon, pickled red onions, & goat cheese boursin. Interesting wine for summer event, surprising and refreshing. Rarity increases score. 3.5/5


Va La Silk 2007
Avondale, Pennsylvania - $28
Aromas of smoke, berry & plum open up to woodsy notes. After decanting for an hour, insane spice aromas appear - cinnamon. Spice and smoky fruit flavors with light body. Very complex flavors. Versatile red and a great local wine. Good for appetizers or as a substitute for Pinot Noir. 4.5/5


Merry Edwards Meredith Estate Pinot Noir 2006
Russian River Valley, California
Violet aromas followed by berry and vanilla with medium tannins. Needed more time to open - not as aromatic as initial tasting in CA.




Neal Zinfandel 2006
Napa Valley, California
Herbal, soft red fruits (berry) on the nose. Same jammy red fruits with medium tannins. A soft Zinfandel with powerful tannins that need time to open up, fruit is obscured. 4/5


Luchador Shiraz 2007
South Australia - $12
Stewed red fruits followed by good oak nose. Amazing flavor when paired with grilled lamb. Thick, powerful aromas; intense, spicy flavors and easy tannins. More potent nose than flavors. For the price, great flavor & intensity. 4.5/5

Luigi Bosca Malbec Reserva 2005
Lujan de Cuyo, Argentina
Aromas of smoke, earth, plum, red fruit and leather. Big hit of spice (back of throat) and smack of alcohol on initial taste. Bold. Same flavors as aromas. Peppery, port-like ripe fruit. Needs food. Tannic and powerful, nice finish. 4/5

Chateau de Segur Sauternes 2003
Barsac, France - $19
Pineapple, honey, light floral and ripe golden citrus aromas. Very sweet, syrupy weight. Honeyed pineapple. Very elegant and soft. Extended pineapple finish with caramel hint. Fantastic value for full bottle under $20 - why spend more? (That is, unless you're shooting for Chateau Y'Quem). 4.5/5

California Zinfandel

Cline Zinfandel 2006
California - $8
Decant first. Spicy, easy to drink. Black cherry, pepper and cola aromas, zesty flavors. Opened up at end. Buy again. Rated 84 points in WS.

Ravenswood Old Vines Zinfandel
Sonoma County, California - $14
Outstanding as always. Great value and always tasty at parties. 4/5


CrauforD Kilt Lifter Brown Vineyard Zinfandel 2006
Napa Valley, California - $25
Birthday wine at James in Philadelphia. Big, juicy wine with deep spice & pepper aromatics. Cinnamon & clove from oaking. Huge mouthfeel; tannins & acids balanced. Long deep finish. Rated 91 points in WS. 4.5/5

Riesling

Hogue Genesis Riesling 2006
Washington - $16
A top wine for 2008. Fruity & floral, pairs well with melon fruit. Not enough complexity & too sweet for my tastes. Rated 90 points in WS.

Bonny Doon Pacific Rim Dry Riesling
Central Coast, California - $9
Light, unoaked and crisp. Great flavor; acidity pairs well with sushi. Restrained style doesn't appeal to everyone. A buy again. One of my favorites. 4/5

Swedish Hill Dry Riesling
Finger Lakes, New York
Golden straw color; aromas of green apple, pear, citrus fruit, & light florals. Granny smith apple & lemon, good acidity on palate. Light body, balanced, not sweet! Pear with light salad or salmon. Apple aftertaste. Elegant lighter style. 3.5/5

Jacob's Creek Reserve Riesling 2007
Australia - $11
Great value; medium, unoaked, crisp and minerally. A buy again. Rated 88 in WS.

J. Lohr Bay Mist Riesling 2006
Monterey County, California - $9 84
Unexpected quality; love it alone or with food. Pairs well with sushi. Aromas are like a blossoming peach tree, stone fruit; mineral flavors are easygoing and lively. Sparkling acidity. Rated 84 in WS. One of my favorites; for the price, it is a fantastic value. 5/5

Chardonnay

Montes Alpha Chardonnay 2006
Aconcagua, Chile - $20
Lots of oak on nose, soft & traces of smoke. Finish not great. Did not like and would not buy again.

Trapiche Oak Cask Chardonnay
Mendoza, Argentina - $11
First tried it in 2006 at El Vez, a Philadelphia Mexican restaurant. It's more like a Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc with surprising tartness & crisp flavors. No buttery, over-oaked Chardonnay here. 3.5/5

Santa Rita 120 Chardonnay 2008
Maipo Valley, Chile - $9
Pear, apple and melon aromas and flavors. Tight, acidic. 3/5

White blends

Hugel Gentil 2006
Alsace, France - $14
White blend. Bright yellow color. Aromas of lemon & grapefruit, floral notes, light wet stone; fresh. Dry, round w/pleasing acidity. Nice weight & mouth feel. Good minerality, especially on finish. Buttery and coats. Good for what it is. 3.5/5

Lo Tengo Torrontes
Lujan de Cuyo, Argentina - $8
White blend. Mineral & crisp. Lots of acidity; a decent wine. 3.5/5


Cler Blanc
Loire Valley, France - $9
Aromas of grass & florals. Acidic lemon & light melon on palate, most like a sauvignon blanc with strong citric acid. Almost too much acid, not balanced. Simple flavors, medium body. Too easy to drink, lacks complexity. Fine for picnics, summer sipper. Declassified muscadet. Admittedly, I liked the shape of the bottle more than the wine itself. 2/5

Va La Vineyard

Va La La Prima Donna 2007
Avondale, Pennsylvania - $35
Initial pear aromas. Flavors shift from floral to light woodsy, mineral to white fruits; always changing. Lavender & honey finish. Medium body. Very complex. Similar in style to Caymus Conundrum. Blend of 5 grapes: Malvasia Bianco, Petit Manseng, Pinot Grigio, Tocai Friuliani & Viognier. Pairs well with seafood, shellfish, chicken and cream sauces. This will be the last vintage that the viognier grape will be part of the blend as the winemaker has yanked out all of the viognier vines. 4/5


Va La Cristallo 2005
Avondale, Pennsylvania - $25
Very berry aroma followed by cherry, strawberry, smoke, hint of cured sweet meat (ham). Jammy fruit like preserves and a honeyed sweetness. Flavors start with spicy tingle on the tip of the tongue. Strawberry, light minerality, and more smokiness comes through on the palate. Light body, but complex and smooth with solid backbone. Light, almost imperceptable tannins and smoky, long finish. Light red in color. Paired well with rustic pizza of goat cheese, basil, carmelized onion, and bacon. Great wine and very different, spicier than Silk with smoke notes. Bought 2005 when reserve was released; better vintage than 2006. No longer in production. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon & Cabernet Franc grapes. 4.5/5

Va La Silk 2007
Avondale, Pennsylvania - $28
Red blend of Barbera, Carmine, Corvina Veronese, Merlot, Nebbiolo, & Petit Verdot. Light body with aromas of cooking spice. A non-traditional red blend meant to be a transitional wine for white wine drinkers. Fermentation in stainless steel tanks gives it a lighter color and body. Pairs well with chicken, red sauces, proscuitto, salmon & pork. Initially, felt it was too light but versatility has converted me. 3.5/5

Va La Siranetta 2006
Avondale, Pennsylvania - $40
Blend of 4 grapes (3 French and 1 American) Carmine 68%, Syrah, Merlot and Petit Verdot. (Carmine is a cross of three French grapes created by UC Davis.) Lighter body than expected, light tannins and good backbone. Pork aroma. Smoky fruit. Pairs with steak, grilled meats & aged cheeses. "Little Siren"

Va La Castana 2006
Avondale, Pennsylvania - $35
Medium body red blend of Barbera, Nebbiolo & Corvina Veronese grapes. Flavors of dark chocolate and berry. Pairs well with meats (bbq, hot sausage) spicy food, Mexican food and even dark chocolate. Just released. Aged 14 months in oak.

Va La Barbera
Avondale, Pennsylvania - $35
Spicy tongue tingle, surprisingly light. Dark chocolate flavors with plum and brambly fruit. Some earthiness. This single varietal wine is no longer produced as the winemaker has chosen to use the Barbera grape in other wines. 4/5

Va La Cedar
Avondale, Pennsylvania - $45
Nebbiolo & corvina veronese (grape used in Italian Amarone) grapes. Brownish-red color from few years of bottle aging; can take 2-3 more years in cellar. Complex, rich wine that unfolds slowly. Changes from tight, tip of tongue spice, cooking spices, & tannic; white pepper appearing on back of tongue; lower tannins, dried fruit - specifically raisin, red berry, cinnamon but still tight. Pork aroma with impressive back of throat spice, softer red berry. Fruit emerges as wine breathes. Decant. Pairs well with wild game, lamb, fowl and truffles.

Va La Mahongany 2005
Avondale, Pennsylvania - $55
First release of this blend of Barbera, Petit Verdot & Carmine. Grown and bottled on site. Winemaker has been waiting 10 years for the vines to mature to produce a wine of this quality, range, and style. Light tannins, medium body with bold flavors. Will age well in bottle. Pairs well with everything from chocolate to bold cheeses. 4/5

More at Va La

Syrahs for Steve

Some of my recent favorites in ascending order of price.

Cline Syrah
Napa Valley, California - $9
THE epitome of Syrah. Need to decant! A great, cheap selection with some oak. Wonderful go-to party wine; buy again.


Earthworks Syrah 2006
Barossa Valley, Australia - $10
Lighter style with initial black pepper flavor. Aromas of cherry and a grapefruity tang/sharpness. Flavor resembles a spicy pinot noir with supple tannins. Stewed fruit, fatty pork (sausage/bacon), blueberry. General red fruits lead to blueberry then to smoke/tar, then peppery finish. Great mouthfeel, smooth. 4/5

Paringa Shiraz
South Australia, Australia - $10
Pleasing, smooth like a Merlot but with nice spice. Buy again, good for parties.

The Winner's Tank Eskadale Shiraz 2006
Langhorne Creek, Australia - $13
Spicy! Held up to burgers and chocolate cake. Side of tongue pepper, chocolate, burnt toast flavors. Tannic with leather aromas on finish. Buy again.

Montes Alpha Syrah
Colchagua Valley, Chile - $19
Lots of jammy reds, lingering smoke on the palate. Smokey, pleasing tannins. Flavors of chocolate with black and blueberry as it opens up. An interesting wine to drink again.


Jim Barry The Lodge Hill Shiraz 2006
Clare Valley, Australia - $20
Aromas of cinnamon, clove, sweet hay on a red berry backbone. Cut grass freshness with light barnyard earthiness. Stewed red fruit. Medium body, supple tannins. Spicy flavor opens up to vanilla red fruit (sweet red fruits). Needs more power at the end. Wine Spectator 91 points. 4/5



Cakebread Napa Valley Syrah 2005
Napa Valley, California - $50
Loved syrupy, very ripe fruit flavor. My style of syrah. From the winemaker: "Seductive, varietally expressive aroma of ripe black fruit, violets, white pepper, roasted coffee & sweet vanilla. Full body; lush blackberry, plum, & fig, savory spice. Supple tannins & long toasty finish. Best flavor 2011-2013."

While the $50 Cakebread was marvelous and very much what I prefer, I could not justify the price... especially when I considered this winery was the first of a dozen more still to visit on week-long Napa/Sonoma trip. The Earthworks was a great value, complex and definitely interesting. For a little more money, we really enjoyed the Jim Barry Lodge Hill.

Quivira

This winery was one of the last we visited during our Napa/Sonoma Spring 2008 trip. While we weren't wowwed by most of the wines, their focus on sustainable and biodynamic practices was interesting. Quivira started their biodynamic journey in 2002. You can see the solar panels on the tasting room's roof. These panels have been able to completely satisfy the winery's energy needs for several years. A biodynamic and organic garden is also available to visitors curious to learn more about sustainable farming.



Quivira Sauvignon Blanc Fig Tree Vineyard 2005
Dry Creek Valley, California - $18
Big pineapple nose & lemon finish. Sweetness, just a touch, lingers. Light and fruity. From the winemaker: "Generous pineapple, citrus blossom, and wet stones w/bright lemon & carambola fruit on palate."

Quivira Dry Creek Valley Zinfandel 2005
Dry Creek Valley, California - $20
Cherry aroma, lots of spice. Berry on finish. Smooth, low tannins. From the winemaker: "Blended barrels with valley floor and hilltop sites. 10% petite syrah. Dark cherry & bramble fruit, med mouth feel, blackberries, hint of bakers chocolate. Unfiltered.

Quivira Anderson Ranch Zinfandel 2005
Dry Creek Valley, California - $34
Couldn't pick out individual components but great mouth feel and flavor. From the winemaker: "Lush aroma of blueberry tartlets, ripe blackberries, Szechuan pepper, vanilla soaked cranberry. Palate: black cherries, raspberry."

Quivira Wine Creek Ranch Zinfandel 2005
Dry Creek Valley, California - $30
Made from the oldest vines, 100% Zinfandel. Bigger and bolder nose than Anderson Ranch. Black cherry, cracked peppercorn, dark cocoa.

Quivira Wine Creek Ranch Petite Syrah 2005
Dry Creek Valley, California - $26
Black currant aroma, coriander seed on first sip - very cool flavor. Candied cherry on palate.

More at Quivira. Thanks to Christa for the suggestion!